Sea Foam
by NanukXJesseXNalaarXAshe
Summary: Bella Swan figured that life in Forks would be tame and almost boring. Then, a hoard of surfers come into town for Surf Competition: Olympia...including the famous Cullen Five. Will Bella find love, or will it be taken away with the tide?
1. Chapter 1

**Namaste! Here is the deal, people. In order for this story to work and make at least a small amount of sense, we all have to pretend it's hot in Washington. Thank you, and enjoy your stay!**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Mom<strong>

"Are you sure you want to do this, Bella? I have no problem staying home with you, honey." A reluctant Renee was still trying to convince her daughter to stay home in Phoenix with her. "I don't understand why you want to leave!"

"Mom, please." Bella sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, frustrated already. "I don't need you sending me on a guilt trip or anything. I made this decision, and I'm sticking to it."

"Sweetheart, I know it's hard...to be around me right now, but I'm really trying here. I'm trying. Can't you at least try and put up with me for a little longer?" Renee started to furiously rub at her eyes as she grasped her only daughter into a tighter hug. Her baby was leaving her now. "Please? I promise, I'll stop the treatment if you'll stay! I can't...I don't know if I can do this if you leave!"

"Come on, mom. You've waited for this your whole life, I think." Bella bit her lip, trying her best to keep her shoulders from shaking and just flat out crying. "And as much as I love you and all, I want to go stay with dad for a while. I know you want me to stay, your insisting for the past two months hasn't made me doubt that for an instant, but you need to do this on your own."

"But baby, I-" Renee hushed up quickly when Bella pecked her cheek softly.

"No, mom. I will call you when my plane lands. Let me know how your appointment goes, alright?" Bella fought back tears as she pulled her carry on bag over her shoulder, "Please remember to charge your phone when you get home, it's bad enough I had to staple it to the wall. Oh, and you already have my email! Be sure to hit that up, too! Don't forget you have to pick up Watson from the clinic! I'll send pictures of Holmes soon!"

"B-Bye, Bella!" Renee began to tear up as her daughter turned her back on her and continued to walk away without a glance back in her direction. Numbly, she turned around and climbed into her car, eying the soft jacket that laid forgotten on the passenger's side seat.

She took it into her hands quickly and brought it to her nose, nuzzling into it and cuddling it. The scent of her daughter was comforting. Bella was the only certain thing in her life, and now that she was gone...

Renee began to sob with a fury unseen as she thought of the past six months of her life. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Bella wasn't supposed to leave. She was supposed to stay and hold her mother's hand through the hardest and most exciting time of her life.

But she didn't. She ran away, just like everyone else did. Renee figured that her ex-husband wouldn't want to deal with her life-changing decisions, and if Bella didn't want to either, she could go with him. He had enough stability to take care of her little middle-aged, somewhat reluctantly spoiled princess, even though that princess was old enough to care for herself at this point.

She couldn't find it in her to be angry at her daughter, so she did the next best thing. She found herself missing her, and wanting her to come back home. She couldn't wait for the opportunity to go and see her baby girl as soon as she could.

"Oh...my Bella..."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"Oh god, that was hard..." Bella shoved past a middle-aged woman who was exiting one of the stalls in the airport bathroom, wheezing. She put her bag down and dug around in it until she produced her inhaler. She shook it a few times and yanked the cap off, putting the end to her mouth and taking two lungfuls of the medicine. She held it in for a few seconds and huffed back out, the pain subsiding. "God, I've listed my regrets. Add this to it."

_'Flight bound for Seattle, Washington now boarding on Gate 12 B. Seattle, Washington now boarding on Gate 12 B.' _

'That's my ride.' Bella tossed the inhaler back into her bag and rubbed her eyes again. 'I hope I don't cry like a baby once I get there...or at least I hope I get there before the waterworks start...'

Bella, not thinking anymore of her mother and her impending doom, rushed out of the bathroom, brushing past that same woman from before, and handed the stewardess her ticket, straight onto the plane. With hope, the plane would crash land and she would die a horrible, painless death in the ocean, surrounded by the blue water that continued to terrify her.

'One can only hope.' Bella grimaced. 'one can only hope.'

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"God, I've listed my regrets." Bella muttered as she stepped off the puddle skipping plane that had taken her to a small airstrip outside the city limits of Forks. She spotted the police cruiser and groaned inwardly. He couldn't drive a normal civilian vehicle to pick his only daughter up? Not even once? She always felt like a damn criminal being driven around in it! "Add this to the list."

"Bella!" Charlie grinned, his black mustache sticking out like sore thumb. Maybe with time, she would find that he looked rather handsome in it?

Bella tilted her head to the side and thought on it for a moment. _'Nah.' _

"Hey dad." She rocked on her heels nervously, "To the house with us?"

"What, no hug? Here I thought you were still my baby, who loved to give hugs." He chortled, and Bella blushed darkly. "Though, you aren't much of a baby anymore, Bells."

"No, definitely not." She felt the corners of her lips turn up slightly, and she tried to not smile, but it wasn't working. A startled howling filled the air, and Bella turned in surprise. "Holmes! Quiet down!"

A whining followed Bella's command, and Charlie was clutching at his gun belt.

"Sorry, dad, that was Holmes. He didn't like the flight much." She bent in front of the large cage as the luggage person put him down in front of her. "Sorry about him, this was his first flight."

"Don't worry, we've had worse." The man winked and continued on to his job.

"You said you were bringing a dog, not a horse!" Charlie frowned as he eyed the size of the crate. "I don't know, Bells..."

"Dad, I said that I would be bringing him with me if I was going to live here permanently. It doesn't matter what size he is, he is my best friend, and I refuse to leave him where I won't be." She leashed him quickly and let him out, "He's a little woozy from the tranquilizer I gave him..."

"Wow, that's some dog. He's beautiful." Charlie admired the dog for a moment before coughing and titling his face up. "Anyway, he'll have to ride in back, he won't fit in the front."

"Perfect. He's my little criminal anyway." She hugged the large dog and smiled when his tail thumped against the floor before curling in excitement. "Oh, I'll bet he'll be really happy to see snow for the first time in winter! I felt bad having him in Arizona, because it hardly ever snowed in Phoenix. Imagine that, a snow dog in a place where it doesn't snow often! That, and he has bronchitis."

"Well, then, let's not keep him waiting." Charlie led the way to the police cruiser and opened the back door for Holmes, throwing her suitcases into the trunk. "Get comfortable. It's a bit of a bumpy ride back to town."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"My room hasn't changed at all." Bella had just pushed the door open and she could tell that her dad hadn't even stepped foot into her bedroom. "I need to go shopping."

"Oh? What is it missing?" Charlie looked around and frowned, "You're right. It's boring in here."

"Glad to know you agree." Bella rolled her eyes, "I guess I can start unpacking right now. Holmes is probably going to fall asleep pretty soon. He's still out of it."

"Are we going to need to buy...stuff for him?" Charlie was uncomfortable buying things that weren't edible. "And for you?"

"No, don't worry about it." She turned and pushed her dad out the door, "Now out! I have unpacking to do."

"Alright, alright. Sorry to be in the way." He grinned and turned away, "I'm leaving for a while. Be back before dinner, though. Have to go see a man about a monster."

"I won't pretend to know what that means." Bella laughed after him and when her bedroom door was shut, she leaned against it and slid down its frame, hugging her sides as she shook with sobs. "Oh, mom..."

A soft snout pressed into her and she reached out instantly for her best friend, "Holmes, do you miss Watson already? I know I do."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and the Pet Store Girl<strong>

"You're expensive." Bella said to the dog who was sitting in the cart that was a tad too small for him, "And you're huge."

The brunette looked at the large bags of dog food. She tried to find the brand she usually bought, but couldn't find it. "Do they not sell it here?"

"Are you looking for something in specific, Ma'am?" A girl with straight black hair and black frame glasses asked her sweetly. "Or can I give you a recommendation?"

"Ah, yeah, I was looking for Evanger's. You don't carry it?" The brunette touched the dog's head as he leaned back for a pet, and sighed. "That's all I've fed him since he was a puppy."

"I'm sorry. I don't think we get that at all..." She tapped her chin, "But I do have EVO one hundred percent meat dog food. No grains or fillers. Will that be alright? Not many people will buy it because it's a little pricy, but I think it's worth it. Our furry friends deserve the best."

"That's right." Bella kissed Holmes' head and sighed, "You're lucky your handsome, or you'd be out of here!" Bella walked to where the EVO dog food was and grabbed the biggest bag. "He'll go through this in less than two weeks."

"He's rather big. What's his name, and how old is he?" The girl touched her bud's head, and Bella felt a flicker of something in her stomach, "He sure is handsome."

"Yeah, his name is Holmes. He turned six a few weeks ago." Bella sighed, "His other best friend is back in Arizona with my mother."

"Oh?" She blinked in confusion, "Why are you so far away from your mother?"

"Complications." Bella smiled sadly, "Anyway, I only have about an hour before I have to get home, so I should probably let you get back to work."

"No problem. If you need anything else, or have any questions, I'll be at the front counter." She winked before touching Holmes once again and walking away, swaying her hips.

"Anyway, Holmes, you know how I feel about you attracting the ladies!" Bella laughed, "Well, we got what we needed, so let's hit it."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and the Boss<strong>

"Is there a specific reason you're looking for a job?" The man asked as he looked over her application. "Any kind of obligations your facing? This job is rewarding, but not very fast paced. We're relatively relaxed here, and if you're looking for someplace that gets fired up, this isn't the place."

"No, no. I only need a job so I can spoil my dependent rotten." The man cocked his head to the side, and frowned.

"You have a kid?" The man pursed his lips and sighed, leaning back.

"No! I don't have a child." She chuckled, "I have a dog."

"What kind of dog?" The man leaned forward, now interested. "I love dogs."

"I have a Siberian Husky." Bella reached into her bag and pulled out a folded picture of Holmes. She always kept it on her, in case he ever got lost. She handed it to him when he held his hands out.

The man squealed, and clapped his hands. "He's adorable! You're hired!"

"Really?" Bella had never been more thankful for owning Holmes.

"Yeah. You can bring him to work, too. Just make sure he stays on the floor away from food. Like I said, this place is really relaxed, and if he can add to the chill factor, he's welcome here." The man shook her hand after handing her the picture back. "You start on Monday."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Jessica and Holmes<strong>

"Alright, listen here, rookie." A girl laughed as she tied her apron on, "Sweet dog, by the way."

"Thanks. He landed me this job, if I can be honest." Bella blushed and glanced at Holmes, who was being a total chick magnet again.

"I believe it." The girl shrugged, "Anyway, time to start your training! Here at SandShack Deli, we pride ourselves in our promises. We always promise to bake fresh bread every few hours. We always promise to have fresh cuts of meat ready for customers. We always promise to have soups hot and shakes and smoothies cold when ordered. We always promise to have fresh greens ready for salads any time throughout the day." The girl tapped her head, "Think you can remember all that?"

"No, but keep going." Bella laughed and paid great attention when the girl explained how to bake bread, and make soups and cut meats. She was proud to say that at the end of her first work day, she was excited for the next day.

"So, did you hear about the surfing competition that's coming up? I heard the competition is going to be fierce. Especially with the Rez boys participating." the girl squealed, "My Paul is going to be amazing at the competition!"

"You're dating someone from the reservation?" Bella had never really met anyone but Jacob Black and his dad from the reservation. She heard that they were relatively nice.

"Yeah, he's great. Got a bit of an anger problem, but aside from that, he's a sweetheart." She gushed as she chopped vegetables to throw into the soup she was currently let stew. "What about you? Got any boy on your heart?"

"No, not really." Bella looked over at Holmes, who was getting tossed cuts of meat, "None but that boy over there."

"He's a dog, not a boy." The girl giggled, "But I understand. He's like your baby."

"Of course he is." The brunette grinned, "He's my boy. So how exciting does the surfing competition get?"

"Oh, believe me, it gets amazing!" She waved her arms around, knife in hand, until the man who interviewed her shouted at her to quit her shit. "I mean, the guys get really into it. Once they got into a fight with a rival troupe. But that was years ago."

"I don't know how people can do that and live off it." Bella glanced at the door when a bell rang and the two of them said in unison, "Welcome to SandShack Deli!"

"It's a sport, Bella. People live off of basketball and golf, why not surfing?" She shrugged, "Besides, surfer boys are hot."

_"Yeah, right. What's so hot about tall, tan boys with bleach blond hair and baby blue eyes walking around with muscular arms and washboard abs?" _Bella snorted. If anything, she would ask for those days off so she wouldn't need to hear much about the competition at all.

"Does business get better during the competition? Do the surfers come in sometimes?" The look on the other girl's face was answer enough.

"Of course they do! They love this place, they pretty much only eat here!" She laughed aloud, "We serve free food to surfer troupes."

_"Shit." _Bella sighed, "Is there any way I can avoid mixing up in all this competition high?"

"Nope. You're stuck here." The girl stuck her tongue out at her friend, "Best get used to it."

"Yeah, yeah." Bella waved her off, "Show me how to make the bread again."

"You got it."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"Hey, Bells." Charlie looked up from his recliner, "How was work?"

"It was great. Someone gave Holmes the left overs of their mango smoothie. I now know he's a mango-holic." She pulled said dog into the house and closed the door behind him. "He's been trying to steal mangoes from the kitchen now."

"Well, if that isn't crazy, I don't know what is." Charlie shrugged before turning back to his game. "Can't wait for all those yahoos to come into town and leave it. The sooner the better."

"What yahoos?" The girl perched on the arm of her father's chair, catching his attention.

"The surfers. They come into town, make all the teenagers go crazy with the drinking and the drugs and the sex on the beach and the streaking through town. I just don't handle all the crazies all that well. The sooner they come, the sooner they leave, as I like to think." He brought his beer to his lips and took a chug. He gasped and burped loudly, "Don't need more boys coming a knocking for you. Bad enough I gotta beat the boys from town back with my shotgun."

"Dad, really." Bella rolled her eyes and laughed, moving to the kitchen to start dinner. Once dinner was made, and was steaming on the dinner table, Charlie began his very much put off interrogation.

"So...how is your mom?" He chewed on a piece of meat as he looked right at her.

"Dad, I don't think-"

"Bells, I care about her. I'd like to know how she is." The man put his fork down and sighed, "Can't you at least tell me what this is all about? It's not that I'm not happy you're here, kid, I am. I just want to know why you suddenly want to live in small town Forks."

"Mom is getting a procedure done. I want her to be able to do what she wants without having to worry what I think of it. I don't want her to think that she can't do it because her teenage daughter has no clue about how to feel about it." The brunette glanced at Holmes, who was practically glaring at her for not sharing her food with him. "It's complicated."

"I think I can keep up." Charlie wiped his mouth with a napkin and picked his fork back up, scooping up some mashed potatoes and bringing them to his mouth.

"Alright. You wanted to know, I'll tell you." She pressed a piece of meat to her dog's muzzle, happy that he didn't bite her hand. He had a habit of doing that when he was younger. "Mom wants to be dad."

"What?" He paused in his movements and blinked in confusion.

"Mom wants to be a dad." Bella repeated, running her hands through her hair, "She wants to be a man. She's getting a sex change."

"Why? I thought...well, I figured..." His bottom lip trembled, "What about you? Doesn't she know how this will affect you?"

"I don't think it matters. If that's what she wants, she's go." Bella held her hands up in a thumbs up fashion and sighed again, "I just didn't know how to react when she told me and started taking the hormone treatments. I guess that, with time, I'll be able to get used to it."

"She'll be a man, Bella. You can't get used to that." Charlie snorted, "She won't be your mom anymore. She'll be...I don't know what she'll be, but she certainly won't be your dad."

"She'll always be my mom." Bella hissed, her eyes narrowing, "And if she wants to be my dad, she can be. She actually raised me from scratch, don't forget that."

"Don't be that way. It wasn't entirely my fault she took you to live with her." He threw his napkin down on his place and stormed off to the living room, turning the TV on, searching for a game that must be on. When he found one, he raised the volume and popped open a beer.

Bella laid both plates down on the floor, smiling when Holmes began to tear into it all, mindful of the one fork that was still on Bella's plate.

Bella laid her head down on the table and sobbed as quietly as possible. How did all of this turn out so rotten? She shouldn't be here living with her conservative and stubborn father. She should be with her mother, who was going through a difficult, but life-changing time in her life. She should be there, holding her hand and talking her through it.

But here she was, unhappy, just like she knew her mother was.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Dad<strong>

"Here." Charlie muttered as he held out a pair of keys to his daughter, who was lacing up her shoes. She glanced up and titled her head in confusion.

"What are they for? The house?" She took them and looked them over, looking at him once again. He shrugged and grunted.

"I figured you needed some way of getting around without me." He left the house before she could thank him, and for that she was glad. The conversation they had last night had made things rather tense since then. He would barely look at her now, and she was happy that he wasn't. Then, he wouldn't be able to see the swelling and bags underneath her eyes.

"Well, Holmes..." She looked at her dog, who was lying rather provocatively on her bed, legs spread open and everything. "I am off to find furniture. Call me if you need anything, yeah?"

She snickered when his tail thumped and closed her bedroom door. She wouldn't be long...or at least, she hoped he would stay asleep while she was gone if she was going to be long.

She locked the front door of the house and stepped out, nearly walking into a big red behemoth that was parked on the grass next to where Charlie's cruiser was usually parked.

It was old. And the paint was peeling. She loved it.

"It is something I definitely see myself in. Mother would kill me for driving this." Bella sighed, in love, and climbed into the beast. "Let's see what you can do."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"Lovely." Bella thumped her head against the steering wheel as she threw her truck in park outside of the first store. "Had to drive all the way to Seattle for a freaking furniture store! At least it's an Ikea."

She climbed out and slammed the door shut, earning her looks from people leaving and going into the store. She frowned and grumbled about people not minding their own business. Once she was past the doors, she took a deep breath.

"God, I've listed my regrets." The brunette took a cart and started walking, "Add this to that list."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Jacob<strong>

"FINALLY!" Bella moaned as she threw her truck into park in front of her house. The drive was terrible on the way back, she was afraid her things would get wet or fly out of the bed, but thank God, no rains or bumps. "I know just the boy for this job."

Bella ran into her house and picked up the phone, dialing a familiar, forever unchanging number. It rang a few times before a familiar, husky voice answered.

"Hello?" The boy sounded upset. Maybe a fight with a girlfriend?

"Jake?" Bella grinned when she could practically hear the grin grow on his face. "Not bothering you, am I?"

"You? Bother me? Please." He snorted, "What can I do for you?"

"Funny you ask that." She tittered, "I just got back from Seattle. I went shopping for furniture, and I need an instruction smart boy to put the pieces together. I also needed to go shopping again for Holmes, so if you can come over and work on it while I'm out, that would be great."

"What am I putting together?" He sounded excited about a little job. "And what do I get if I do it efficiently?"

"We will talk about that later. For now, settle for an I.O.U." She glanced at her watch and frowned, "But you need to get here asap. I need to go pretty soon."

"Just leave the stuff in the living room, and I'll get in through the back door." He sounded as if he'd stood up and started to pull clothes on. "I'll be over in less than ten minutes."

"Alright, I'm going. Holmes is going with me, so the house will be empty." She glanced at the back of her truck, "Some of the stuff is heavy, so I'll have to leave it on the porch, if I park really close to it."

"That's fine. Nobody will touch it. This ain't Arizona." He crowed and hung up. Bella sputtered when he just hung up. Who the hell just does that?

"Stupid..." Bella hissed and put the phone down, running out to take stuff down off her truck. She brought down box after box carefully, placing each down onto the floor of the living room. She'd come back with quite the haul. "Hopefully he can put this stuff together."

She shimmied the last box off her truck and leaned it against the wall on the porch. She wouldn't be able to move it further on her own. She wiped her forehead and sighed aloud. "Add this to the list."

She stomped up the stairs and threw her door open, to see Holmes sitting right in front of her bed, waiting for her.

"Let's hit it, kid." He jumped up and barked happily. "Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to see you, too."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella, Eric and Angela<strong>

"And your total is $394.82." The girl said cheerfully, and Bella's heart clenched at the number. Well, it was for Holmes, and was fairly worth it. She handed over four hundreds and smiled. "Would you like someone to help you take that out?"

"That would be great. Thank you." She held onto Holmes' leash and led him out, happy that someone else was pushing the cart behind her. It was really hard to even see around it, much less push it. "This is my truck, thanks."

"This is quite the haul, girl." It was the boy pushing the cart. "I've never seen a person spend so much on a dog before."

"They wouldn't, if their dog wasn't their best friend." She grinned, "And he is my best friend."

"That's cool." The boy was now visible, and Bella smiled in a friendly fashion. "I'm Eric, by the way."

"Awesome. I'm Bella. Just moved to town about a week or so ago." She shrugged and beamed when Eric gaped.

"You're the Chief's daughter!" He began to put bags into the back of the truck and continued to be in shock. At least it didn't get in the way of his job. "Why didn't you show up earlier? We could have gone to high school together!"

"I wasn't much of a high school type of person. I graduated early and everything." She wrinkled her nose, "College was much worse."

"Oh? Have you finished already?" He sighed, "I'm still working it."

"Yeah, I finished this past semester. I got my associates in accounting." The brunette frowned, "Its not a great job, but the pay is worth it."

"Yeah, totally." Eric grinned, "I want to be a journalist. Been working on that since my freshman year of high school."

"I probably would have avoided you for the sake of my sanity. I hated attention. Still kinda hate it." She shrugged, "So you work here?"

"Yeah. Have worked here for like...four years already." He rolled his eyes, "I _love _my job. Have to say it, because they've supposedly got cameras out here to catch us bad mouthing work."

"I doubt that." Bella glanced around and her eyes grazed against a shop that was what she would deem a 'hole in the wall' type of place. "What's that?"

He glanced in the direction she'd looked in and grinned.

"My favorite place. It's a surfer's shop. They sell the surfing skins, boards, wax, you name it, they sell it." His eyes seemed to glow after that explanation. "My girlfriend works there, and I'm only working this hard so I can get an awesome, super sweet board for the upcoming surfing competition. I probably won't though, because I'm really behind. They said its going to be wicked this year."

"So I've heard." Bella wrinkled her nose. "I'm surrounded by talk of it."

"You don't like surfing?" He looked hurt, as if he was a puppy who'd been kicked.

"Not that I don't like it. It's just that there's so much hype about it. My dad absolutely flips about the surfers coming to town. I think if he could, he'd make it illegal for them to step foot in town." She sighed, "But that's just Charlie."

"You should get a little more involved in it. Maybe then you'd like it. The boys...er, I'm sorry, I would say that surfer dudes are...handsome, I guess? But I'm not into guys, so I can only gush about hot surfer chicks. Those toned bodies and bronze skin..." He held his hands together under his chin and squealed. "God, I can't wait for it!"

"I think I'll go into the store..." She eyed the truck, "If I paid you fifty bucks, would you stay here and watch my stuff?"

He nodded, waving her off. "I won't even accept the fifty bucks. You might see something in the store you like. If I can convert you, that'll be enough of an incentive for me."

With one last grin, she turned, Holmes with her, and walked to the small store.

Once she came up to the door, she pulled the door open and walked in, Holmes behind her.

"Hey! Woah, girl! No dogs in here." A brunette haired girl with hazel eyes held her arms up and grinned, "I'm sorry."

"No, no. I didn't know, I'm sorry. I just saw your store, and a boy who works at the pet store said it was pretty...awesome, in here. I just wanted to look." Bella's eyes widened when she looked around. She wanted to go further into the store.

"If you really want to look, I can hold him behind the counter here. But just for a few minutes." She reached out for the leash, and Bella handed it to her. "So you like surfing?"

"Can't say I do." She shrugged, "I haven't done it myself, and all the talk around about the competition around town has been driving me crazy."

"Well, it's getting really exciting!" The girl squealed, "Especially since the Cullens are coming here!"

"Who are they?" Bella flinched when the girl leaned over and palmed her forehead. "What the hell?"

"The Cullens have been all over the world! Surf Champions!" She reached up behind her and pulled a small 'O' down, unrolling a large vinyl poster. On it, was a goddess riding a wave on a bright yellow surfboard. "This here, is _the _Alice Cullen."

"She's pretty." Trying not to make ogling eyes at the girl on the poster, she glanced at the girl, who glared at her.

"She's beautiful, you mean." The girl sighed, "I can see you ogling. Anyway, she's one of two girls on their troupe. This bombshell-"

She pulled down the 'O' that was behind Alice's 'O' and another poster came down, this one a long poster, instead of a wide one. It was a picture of a blond, possible model, riding a large swell on a red board. "Is Rosalie Hale Cullen. Married to teammate Emmett Cullen."

"They like to keep it in the family, huh?" Bella snickered, "Anyway, do you have a copy of Alice's poster?"

"Yeah, I do." She reached underneath the counter and produced one, still wrapped in plastic. "I don't have anymore of her wearing the skin suit like this one." She tapped the one over her head, "She's wearing a bikini in this one."

"How much for it?" She pulled out her wallet and glanced at the girl, who looked shocked that she was actually going to buy it.

"Oh, uh...$150." Bella handed her the money and took her dog back, along with her new vinyl poster that would hang over her headboard. Her dad would flip. "Do you want to see the other posters?"

"I think I've spent enough money today. If I see any more of them, I'll be very tempted to buy them. Maybe next week." She grinned, "What's your name?"

"Angela." She grinned right back. "It was nice meeting you...?"

"Bella. Bella Swan." She nodded her head, "I have to get home now. You're boyfriend is watching my stuff for me. I think they might be wanting him back pretty soon."

"You've got that right." She winked, "Enjoy the poster."

"Right." Bella ducked out of the store and walked briskly back to her truck, balancing the heavy poster in one arm and her dog in the other. When she reached her truck, she stowed her poster and dog in the cab and grinned at the boy who looked at her in shock.

"You bought a poster?" He squeaked, eying it. "Which one?"

"Alice Cullen in a bikini riding a swell." Eric frowned instantly.

"Wait, I've never seen a poster of that!" He reached for it, and Bella laughed and shut the door before he could reach in. "Hey, no fair!"

"Say that to Angela. She's the one who gave me this one. Maybe she doesn't want you doing what you almost did just now. Suppose she only wants you to see her in a bikini?" Bella glanced in the direction of the surf shop. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, your right." He palmed his forehead, "God, I'm an idiot."

"You said it, not me." Bella laughed, "Now get back to work."

"Right." He walked back dejectedly to the pet store.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it. I've been working like <span>crazy<span> on this project. Can you imagine the amount of research, videos, and other types of things I had to do to even begin this? It was horrible, but I loved it.**

**To answer any questions like, 'Why didn't Bella stay with her mom?', its not that she didn't want to stay with her, it's just that she isn't sure how she's supposed to act around her mother, or how she's supposed to feel about her sex change. She decided to go off to her dad's for a while to think it over. She wants to get used to the idea, instead of being forced to it suddenly. **

**Anyway, Holmes is actually my dog. Only my dog is a year and a half old. Not six, and his name is Nanuk. I'll be uploading a few pictures onto my profile pretty soon, so you'll get the idea of what looks like what, and who looks like what. **

**Namaste!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Namaste! :) Thanks to the four people who reviewed the first chapter! This was definitely a labor of love, and I'm glad that you guys liked it.**

**Sawa255: Tryin' to keep it as original as possible, yo. **

**Cassi143: I can't wait to see, either!**

**Bela23: Hope you enjoy this as much as I will.**

**Villemo79: Sex changes are different, and I do feed off of different. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter.**

_**I am in love with Ashley Greene, and I hate it when people call her 'Trashley'. If you love Demi, leave Ashley alone already. She's not with Joe anymore!**_

**Anyway, I hate most people on twitter, and that's been on my mind since forever. Disclaimer is always the same: Don't own it, though if I did, the vampires wouldn't sparkle (like woodland faeries.) **

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Jacob<strong>

"What's that?" Jacob asked as he watched Bella unwrap her new poster. "I have no clue what that could be."

"It's a poster." She glanced around the room and smiled, "Now this room looks awesome!"

"I would think so. I had to throw all the old furniture out, and put this stuff together. How much did all of this cost, anyway? I almost broke the bed frame like...six times! The wood doesn't seem sturdy at all."

"It isn't for horseplay. It's decoration, essentially." She grinned, "My closet is awesome now."

"Yeah, you can thank me for putting it together now." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I worked very hard. I was this close to calling a friend over to help me."

"Thanks for doing this for me. If I had to do it, it would still all be in boxes, and I wouldn't have started the first one." She put her new poster down and hugged her long time friend. "Thanks."

"Well, everything comes at a price, Bells." He grinned slyly at her. "I want to cash in that I.O.U. Tonight."

"Err...what do you want?" She backed up and sat on the bed.

"I want to take you on a date." Bella blanched and looked up at the upset expression on her friend's face, "What, is the idea of going on a date with me that horrible, Bella? Am I such a bad guy?"

"No, it's not that, Jake, not at all." Bella looked away and sighed aloud, "I just don't want us to change. You asking me on a date and me agreeing would be us changing. You're my best friend, I don't want anything different for us."

"That's selfish, Bella." He got down on his knees in front of her, and took her hands in his, "Please, just give me a chance. You owe me for doing this for you."

She glanced around her room and realized that she did owe him. He was in here most of the day putting this stuff together.

"Alright. Just to get you out of my hair, I will go." He stood up and fist pumped, letting out a loud, 'YEAH!'

"But, you get to tell Charlie." He instantly deflated, but inflated again just as quickly.

"He adores me!" He cheered to himself and pounded his chest, "He can appreciate a big man like me trying to take care of his only daughter."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Jacob<strong>

"Are you _fucking _serious?" Bella shouted at Jacob as he ran away from her, towards the beach. "You know I don't like the beach, Jake!"

She shuttered and flinched when the breeze touched her shoulders. He had said they were going to have a picnic at the park, so she should wear shorts and a tank top. Fat lies!

"Come on, Bells. Stop crying already and come on!" He bent down and grabbed something off the ground. Bella stomped toward him, eying the water wearily, ready to drag him away from the beach and froze when what he was reaching for came up out of the sand. "Here it is!"

"No, Jake, oh no!" Bella backed up, but Jacob grabbed her wrist tightly, "You know I can't!"

"Bella, calm down." He spoke softly to her, hugging her to his chest, "It was years ago, Bella. You don't have to be afraid of the water anymore...I'll be there, I promise."

"Jake, please, I don't want to do this." She tried to struggle out of his arms, but he held her tightly and pulled her toward the water. When she was waist deep, she tried screaming for someone to stop him, but as she looked around wildly, she realized that the beach was void of people. "Jacob, stop! This is a bad idea! I'll drown!"

"Bella, stop being such a girl." He cackled and put her onto the board, paddling out farther into the ocean. He knew at this point she wouldn't jump off and try for land. He couldn't stand on the ground now."I'm right here."

"Please, please, please, please, take me back!" Bella clutched at the board like a cat surrounded by water. "Please, Jacob, I'm begging you!"

"Come on, Bells, it's perfectly safe." He looked ahead and saw a swell coming in. "Perfect."

"No, no, no!" Hot tears welled up in her eyes and her heart hammered in her chest. "Please, please, please..."

"Get ready, Bells." He climbed up on the large board and steered it to follow the current, the board being dragged with it. Once it started to curl around itself, Jacob stood up and was a little thrown off because Bella refused to stand up or move from her board clutching.

When the wave died off, they were near the edge of the water, and Bella abandoned the board and took off into a panicked half swim to the shore. When she reached the beach, she ran to her truck and climbed in, fumbling for her bag.

"Bella!" The dark skinned boy couldn't help but chuckle at her 'silly' reaction. After all these years, was she really still that terrified of the ocean? How stupid.

He abandoned his board to go and get her again to repeat the process, but paused at her actions.

She pulled out her little inhaler, shaking it like crazy before yanking the lid off and pumping it twice into her mouth, taking in as much of the medicine as possible. She closed it after holding her breath for a few seconds, and put it back in her bag for safe keeping.

She looked at him once, at his now pale face, and closed the door, turning the engine on.

When it came on, Jacob was running to the truck, only to stop when Bella threw it in reverse and sped away, still crying.

"FUCK!" Jacob shouted loudly, hands clutching at his hair. He kicked his foot into the sand and growled loudly. "SHIT!"

* * *

><p><strong>Jacob and Charlie<strong>

"Jacob, what did you do to her?" Charlie asked harshly as he looked at said Jacob, who was standing on his porch in the dark. It was barely lit by the porch light, and Jacob looked pitiful. "She came in and was crying, and she refused to leave her room to talk about it."

"I-I...I thought I was helping." He looked down at the floor and when Charlie gripped his shoulder, he gulped loudly.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Charlie snarled in his face, and the boy shuddered. Nobody made this guy's baby cry. Nobody.

"I took her to the beach..." Charlie's face pinked in anger. "A-And I made her surf a swell with me."

"You..what?" He continued to darken, and Jacob was afraid for his life at this point. "You forced her to get on a surfboard with you and forced her to go far out into the ocean...and you thought you were helping?"

"Y-Yes." Jacob straightened up and stood his ground, "I think it's dumb that she's afraid of the ocean, Charlie."

"You would fear it, too, if you were taken by it like she was. You aren't allowed to see her again until she's ready to see you. You so much as speak a word to her before then, and your dad will be on your ass about it. I thought you were different, Jacob. I've known you since you were still in diapers, but...you're all the same. You surfers are all the same. No worries, no responsibility. Always living the high life without a care in the world. My daughter needs more than that. She deserves more than that." He pushed Jacob off the porch and slammed the door shut, locking it up tight.

Bella, upstairs, had heard the whole thing, and ran back to her bedroom, curling under the covers and weeping. _It almost got me again...it still wants me..._

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Jessica<strong>

"Hey, where's Holmes?" Jessica asked as she glanced around, biting her lip. She secretly loved the dog, she just always had to complain about him being a dog to keep up her girly image.

"He's at home. He's upset because I bathed him today. So he isn't talking to me." Bella chuckled. "He's being spoiled."

"Then, mission accomplished!" She giggled and began to cut vegetables for the soup again, "Wasn't that your goal?"

"Definitely. Though, I am getting a little worried about him. He's put on some weight since we've moved here. I think my dad's been feeding him behind my back. He made a comment about him being too skinny before." The brunette sighed. Her dad was infamous. The bell at the door rang and both girls glanced up without really looking at the people who came in, their eyes back down to their task of chopping veggies.

"Welcome to SandShack Deli!" She said cheerfully, though she felt anything but cheerful. She looked up and paled instantly. "W-What can I get you?"

"I'll have a turkey sandwich..and your number." A bleach blond boy with green eyes and stubble on his chin grinned at her, leaning against the counter. "What's your name? Are you free on Friday?"

"Dude, back off." One of his friends shoved against him, "Ignore him, babe, I'm the funner one."

"Funner?" Bella snorted, "Funner isn't a word."

"Ignore the both of them. They're idiots." A girl with red hair smiled softly at her, "I'll have a chicken soup and some oyster crackers, if that's alright."

"You're in luck, we just baked the oyster crackers this morning." Bella smiled back at the girl and moved to make her food, "Do you want a cookie with it?"

"That would be great." She clutched her stomach, "God, I'm starving."

"I'll make it two, then." Bella chuckled with mirth, and placed the food onto a tray, handing it to the redheaded girl. She glared at her friends, and the two of them followed her with sheepish expressions.

"Sorry about them."

Bella waved her off and sighed. God, she hated surfer boys.

For the rest of the day, those were the only people that came in. Surfer boys and girls. The girls were usually nice, and didn't hit on her as obscenely as the boys did. They had odd ways of asking for her number, from sneaking it in, to outright asking her and demanding it.

Four hours later, a group of surfer girls came in, ordering salads and spewing slash gushing about the La Push surfers.

"Oh, have you met Jacob Black? He's so cool! I wish he'd notice me. I mean, I almost broke my neck trying to catch his attention out on the water." The blond blushed and glared at Bella when she snorted. "What's your issue?"

"Jacob Black is not cool. He's an idiot. He pretends to be cool so little girls like you will like him. I know him personally. Have known him since we were in our mothers' wombs." Bella rolled her eyes at the girl as she blushed again.

"You know him? Think you can hook us up?" She leaned over the counter and batted her eyelashes in a relatively attractive way, though it did nothing for Bella. Not really.

"Sure. If it gets him off my back, why not?" She glanced at the clock on the wall, "I'm out in five minutes. I'll call him then and have him come looking for you."

"Really?" The girl's mouth fell open in shock. "Are you serious?"

"I don't lie. Something that happens once you become a serious adult. We tend to stop lying at twenty three or so." Bella chuckled and snorted inwardly. Most people didn't stop lying then. They kept at it until they died or were struck by dementia.

"Did you hear that the Cullens were coming here?" Another girl squealed to her friends, "Oh, that Jasper is so fine!"

"He's taken, so you can't hit on him." Jessica cackled, "Good luck, though. Little homewreckers."

"Is Edward is single again?" The squealing girl's friend...squealed. Oh god, what's with the squealing and gushing, close to unconscious girls around here? They were just surfer boys! "I need time to prepare! When do they arrive?"

"In about a week and a half. I've heard that Emmett's been driving at breakneck speeds to kill off the La Push team. It's going to get rather exciting with those hotties here." Jessica sighed aloud, "Paul is going to be so jealous."

"Tell him to get over it." Bella chuckled, once again glancing at the clock. "And I. Am. Officially...out. Later, Jess."

"I wonder who Alice's fling will be for this competition..." Jess thought it offhandedly, but paused when she saw Bella stop. "Bella?"

"Alice has flings? She isn't married?" She turned her chocolate brown eyes to her friend's in shock, "Jess?"

"No, she has only flings. They never last longer than the competitions do, but the girls don't complain. If anything, they get bragging rights for being conquered by Alice Cullen. I would live forever off of those bragging rights." Jessica bit her lip, "Unfortunately, I don't like girls."

"There was a rumor that she and Edward were hitting it off."

"Oh, that's bullshit. You know they only see each other as brother and sister."

"You never know. If you travel for long enough and nobody else is around..."

"Dude, that's gross. Stop it."

"She likes girls?" Everyone stopped talking and looked at Bella as if she were an idiot. "It was just a question, no need to get your panties in a wad."

"Yeah, she's bisexual." The blond from before put her hands on her hips and grinned, "You like her or what?"

"She's attractive. I won't lie." Bella shrugged and tossed her apron on the counter, going into the employee only room to get her stuff. When she was in there, she called Jacob.

"Hey, Jake."

"No, I'm still mad."

"It was your fault. I didn't want to go, and you forced me."

"Well, explain that to my father again. I'm sure he'd love you even more, then."

"No, I called to tell you that there was a girl here gushing over you and she wants to meet you."

"I am a great judge of character. Can't help the people who were stuck with me at birth."

"Yeah, I kinda do regret us being friends."

"You know, she's here waiting for you. Get your ass over here. I'm going home already. Jess will point her out for you. Might as well bring some of your friends, there's like four of them."

"Yeah, whatever. Just get over here."

"Bye."

She hung up and tapped her fist against the wall slightly. She didn't want to hit it and have to go to the hospital for a cast and explain how she got it to her dad. He already told her not to talk to him. He was in protective dad mode, and he was set to be in it for a long time. Though she was a freaking adult who could move out on her own and be her own person whenever she felt like it.

She walked out in time to hear the bell ring as the door was pulled open again.

"Welcome to the SandShack Deli!"

"God, we need variety here." Bella snorted. "More surfer boys."

"Is there something wrong with surfer boys? I think they're hot. Definitely not hard on the eyes, and they make work definitely more entertaining." Jessica grinned cheekily at a brown haired boy who was gazing at her like he'd just seen the sun for the first time. Ironic, since he's a surfer.

"Hello, beautiful." He looked right into her eyes, and Jessica blushed and giggled nervously. "What's your name?"

"Jessica...and yours?"

"That's it! I'm leaving!" Bella pulled her bag over her shoulder and bumped into the blond girl from before, "I called Jake. He's on his way, possibly with the rest of his surf troupe. Make sure you all look spick and span for them."

After an assortment of squeals and terrified panicked wails, she walked right out the door to her truck, patting it appreciatively.

"It's just you and me now, baby." Bella climbed in and moaned as her aching feet attacked her. "I should quit if its always going to be like this."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"Helloooo baby!" A black haired boy with blue eyes and slightly pale skin laid on the sand in a provocative fashion in front of Bella's beach towel. She was parked really close to the trees that they cast shade over her entirely, and she was far away from the water. "What's your name?"

"It's 'get away before I call my father, who is the police chief.'" She didn't look up from her book, aside from the glance she'd spared him earlier. "Holmes?"

A rumble next to Bella told her that the dog was doing her bidding of scaring him off.

"I...uh..." He sat up in the sand, rubbing his neck, "I thought I was getting signals from you."

"I haven't sent any kind of signals to anyone. I had my nose stuck here," She pointed into her book, "For the past four hours. How old are you, anyway? I think I may be a little old for you."

"I'm nineteen." He tapped his knees and frowned. "I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"You're free to stop any time." Bella glanced up and smiled at him, "I'm sorry...I just don't like surfer boys. Keep looking around, I'm sure there are interested girls around looking for the perfect surfer guy."

"So you think I'm perfect?" He raised a brow and grinned. "Why, thank you!"

"Whatever you say. Now beat it." She made a shoving motion with her hand and continued reading after petting Holmes to calm him down. "Quiet now."

He whined and laid down next to his master, curling around her side.

"I thought you were afraid of the beach?" A familiar voice made Bella put her book down for a second, glancing up at the jealous face of Jacob Black. "Who was that clown?"

"He's just a little surfer boy. Nothing to cry over." She glanced at her book with longing. It was getting to a good part. "Is this going to take long, i'd rather be reading."

"No, it won't. Why are you here, when you clearly hated it on our date the other day?" Jacob was glaring at the book on her lap. "Am I still not good enough for you, Isabella Swan?"

"That's right, Jacob. I hate the beach because you aren't good enough." She snorted, "You're an idiot. I stand by my words. I didn't want to be that close to the water, much less in it. You forced me into the water, though you knew I was scared of it. You are a jerk, and I don't want to be with you."

"You...You!" Jacob kicked at the sand again, angry. Holmes whined and stood up, baring his teeth at Jacob. "Call your dog off."

"You called him on. Violent actions aren't appreciated around him." She reached up and pet her dog's small, black triangular ear. "Who's my good boy?"

"I'm leaving." Jacob grumbled as he turned around and stomped off to a group of boys who were laughing at him. "Call me when you want a man to take care of you."

"I'll be sure to...when you become a man!" She shouted so he could hear her as he walked away, and when he spun around, nostrils flaring, she guffawed and fell back on her beach towel, holding her side. Holmes nudged her and laid next to her, laying his head on her thigh with a huff.

After almost three minutes of uncontrollable laughter, she sat up and giggled quietly, "I hate surfer boys. He doesn't make it any better."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Dr. Hart<strong>

A whining noise alerted Bella as she was cooking dinner for her father. She turn around and looked at her dog, who was lying on the kitchen floor. She tilted her head and looked over him, worry etching her expression.

"Holmes? What's the matter, baby?" She knelt next to him, and touched his head, shrinking back when blood was running from his nose. "H-Holmes!"

She stood up and dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hey, Bells, I'm already on my way home."

"No, dad! It's Holmes! He-He's bleeding! I don't know why! What do I do? Is he going to die?" Bella was panicking now, and her hands were shaking, "Daddy, please!"

"Calm down, Bella, calm down!" Charlie spoke firmly, and Bella listened. "I'm going to call the local vet and have her drive to the house. Wait for her there. Don't touch Holmes any more until she gets there. Wash your hands, and keep doing whatever you were doing. Don't think about it."

"But, dad-"

"No, Bella. Do not touch the dog. Whatever he has could have come from you or something on your hands. Just don't touch him until the doctor is there." He sighed, "I have to hang up to call her. Don't panic, alright? Bye."

"Bye.." Bella hung up and tried to not cry aloud. That would alarm Holmes.

She moved back to the stove and continued her job, her eyes hazy with tears. A few whines escaped her best friend as she ignored him on purpose. Just when she thought she wouldn't be able to ignore him any longer, someone was at the door knocking.

She ran to get it, making Holmes whine aloud. She threw the door open to see a middle-aged woman with a weary smile and a black bag in hand.

"Bella? I am Dr. Hart, the local veterinarian. I got a call from your father about your dog, Holmes, bleeding?" Bella nodded furiously, pulling her by the arm to the kitchen, where her buddy was lying on the floor.

"My dad told me not to t-touch him...until you got here." Bella hiccuped and moved away, "I-I'm sorry. I'll just leave you to it, then."

The doctor looked at the girl sadly before examining her patient. "Oh, boy, what happened? Looks like your mama is worried."

She touched the blood on his nose and rubbed it between her fingers. She sighed, and did a physical on him. A large bruise was visible on his stomach, and she tensed. "Oh lord... Don't take him away from this girl."

When Charlie walked into the kitchen, he looked sadly at the doctor.

"Well, what is it, doc?" He eyed the dog's bruising and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "If he dies, she'll...I don't even know what she'll do."

"He can live through this. With medication and treatments. I want to take him in for observation, if that's alright. I will do everything I can to make him better. I don't want to tell your daughter what it is...it'll scare her."

"Then don't. Just take him for observation and get him started on that medication and treatment. The sooner he feels better, the sooner my baby will feel better." He sighed aloud, "How did this happen, though?"

"It's hereditary. Whoever she got him from didn't tell her that their dogs were suffering also." She motioned for him to help her. "I can't carry him to the car, he weighs a little too much for me. Can you take him to the car?"

"Yeah, no problem." He bent over and picked him up. "Let's go, bud."

"Dad, what's going on?" Bella's eyes were swollen as she saw her father pick her dog up. The blood on the floor was clotted and...it was a lot.

"The doctor is taking him in for observation, Bells. He'll be back soon, alright?" Bella visibly shook, but said nothing. She turned around and walked back to her bedroom. "Don't worry about her. She's emotional, even though she likes to deny it."

"I'll have him back here as soon as possible, Charlie. I'm sorry that we had to meet again under these circumstances." The doctor blushed. "To my car?"

"Oh..uh, yeah." Charlie smiled a little and looked away as he turned out of the kitchen and out the front door of his house. When the dog was secure in the back of her car, he hugged the small woman, "Please help him."

"I'll be sure to do that." She leaned up and kissed him softly, "Are we still on for Saturday?"

"Yep. Wouldn't miss it, even if a Mariners game was on." He grinned, a movement in the car wiping that grin off his face instantly. "Are you sure he'll survive this?"

"I'm positive. Have a good night." She moved to the driver's side door and climbed in, turning the car on and driving away.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

A loud crash filled the room as the surfers crowded the counter to put in orders for the lunch rush. Of course the crash was heard by EVERYONE.

"BELLA!" The manager walked out of his office and grabbed said girl, who was crying yet again, and pulled her into his office. "I don't know what's going on, but that's the fifth stack of plates today. You've got to get your head in the game, girl! Is it a boy?"

"No, no..." Bella shivered and hugged herself. "It's Holmes."

"What's wrong with Holmes? Did he run away?" The manager sat her down in a seat and offered her a bottled water, which she did not take. "What happened, sweetheart?"

"He is sick...bleeding out of his nose last night. The doctor took him, and she hasn't called me to tell me what's wrong with him." She clutched at her eyes with her fists and wailed, "My best friend is going to die!"

"Bella, please, calm down. If he's with a doctor, he should be perfectly fine!" The manager bit his lip and worried. What would the girl be like if he actually did die? "I know this isn't what you want to hear, or what you want, but I want you to take the rest of the day off. Jessica and that new girl, Olivia can take care of the shop. Just go home and relax, or you can do something else. Being here isn't good for you right now. It isn't even keeping you busy."

"I can't leave right now! It's a rush hour!" Bella stood up, red in the face from anger and tears. "Are you kicking me out now?"

"That's exactly what I'm doing. Now scoot. I expect you back here tomorrow morning, though. Don't forget!" He smiled at the girl who was pouting. It was a change from the crying.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Holmes<strong>

"Hello, Bella?" Bella had just walked through the door of her house when the phone started to ring, so she had to run to answer it. "This is Dr. Hart. I just wanted to let you know that Holmes is ready to go home now."

"I'm on my way." Bella slammed the phone down and ran back out to her truck, flooring it on the road to get to her best friend faster.

When she arrived, she threw open the office door and flew to the counter, startling the young woman who had been filing papers in silence.

"I'm here for Holmes. Siberian Husky, black and white with blue eyes? Came in yesterday?" She gasped as she tried to catch her breath, almost crying when the back door opened and Dr. Hart came through with Holmes, who was wagging his tail like crazy to see her. "Hey there, boy!"

She half ran to the end of the counter and dropped onto her knees, hugging the happy dog tightly, "Oh, boy, you scared me half to death!"

"Here, Bella." The doctor handed her a plastic bag full of bottles. "I know you're excited to have him back home with you, so I wrote the directions down on a sheet of paper so you can pin them to the fridge or something. He's on...seven pills and three liquids. It's all necessary to keep his illness at bay."

The girl nodded, biting her lip.

"How much do I owe you?" Bella reached for her wallet, but paused when the doctor put a hand on her arm to stop her. She tilted her head in confusion, her eyes wide.

"You don't owe me a thing. Just make sure to keep up with his medication, so he doesn't need to be in here again." She smiled and hugged the shocked girl. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Er, yes?" Bella knelt down again and hugged her dog, who was close to howling in happiness.

"I'm dating your father...i hope you don't mind..." She blushed, and Bella chuckled.

"My dad is an adult, he can take care of himself. That, and I think its about time his bachelorhood ended." She stood up and held the bag of medication tightly, looking down at the only love of her life. "You're gonna be a living pharmacy, aren't you?"

The dog barked, scaring the girl at the counter again.

"Sorry, he's excitable." Bella shrugged, "Thanks for the help, Dr. Hart. I hope you'll come over to the house to have dinner with us sometime."

"I'd love that." The woman fixed her glasses and smiled happily. "I can't wait!"

"Then I'll be seeing you soon." Bella ducked her head and pulled Holmes along with her gently, "Let's go, buddy."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Mom<strong>

"Hey mom." Bella smiled as she finally got the chance to speak to her mother. Usually, her mother was always available to talk, but lately, no so. She had been busy with her procedure and everything, so she wasn't able to speak much to her. "Hows it going?"

"Good, good." Bella sighed, "Holmes is sick."

"No, not dying...not yet. He's just sick."

"I don't know what he has, but the doctor gave me like, a million pills and liquids for me to force down his throat every morning to keep him alive. I'm thankful for her, though. If not, Holmes would probably be dead by now."

"Yeah, and oh, gosh! Have you watched the news lately about up here? Surfing competition coming into town, and jeez, the place is packed with the surfer boys!"

"Normally, I would be happy to see so many hot boys, but I'm already sick of them, if I'm honest. They all hit on me! As if their easy ways and carefree attitude is at all attractive to me! I want someone responsible. I'm an adult who wants an adult, not a kid who doesn't understand the reason for balancing a checkbook."

"Yeah, I'm whining. I just have a lot on my mind. It's so hectic, especially at work. I work at a surfer boy hotspot."

"Surfing is overrated in my opinion. Too much hype. That, and my old foe is the king of the surfer boys and girls."

"Yeah, I still hate the ocean. Can't get over it. That and Jake forced me to go surfing with him once."

"Mom, calm down. I didn't drown or anything, though dad was close to killing him when I got home by myself."

"Yep. Threatened him and told him to never speak to me again. Of course, it's Jacob. He doesn't listen to anyone. Total surfer boy attitude right there."

"So when are you coming up? I want to see you so badly. I can't leave town right now because of Holmes. He needs to be within driving range of Dr. Hart."

"Yeah, she's nice, and I think she and Charlie are seriously dating. No, not just dating, they're seriously dating. I hope they're good for each other."

"I don't know, she's supposed to join us for dinner sometime soon."

"Yeah, I'm kinda excited for him. He's been a bachelor for far too long." Bella sighed and leaned against the wall. She glanced at the clock and sighed again. "Hey, mom? I've gotta go."

"No, I have a book store on my mind. Need to get some new reading material before I blow up."

"Yeah, I'll call you later, for sure. Just be sure to be ready to talk to me again."

"Alright. I love you, mom."

"Mhm. Bye."

She hung up the phone and smiled. God, she loved that woman.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"I am so glad for this plaza, I swear." Bella chuckled as she put her truck into park. She climbed out and looked at the stores on the strip. "The surfers shop, the pet store, and the book store, all right next to each other. This place rocks."

She walked to the book store and browsed for a while, picking up about five or six new books for reading. She also picked up a few Siberian Husky books and chuckled. She remembered that she used to buy the dog books and her mother used to call them Holmes' porn collection.

"Will this be all?" The boy at the counter eyed her, and she frowned.

"Yeah, that's it." She handed him money, and he bagged her items. He smiled at her, and waved.

"Have a nice day!"

"Don't tell me what to do." She muttered under her breath and left the store. She made a quick detour to the pet store and bumped into Eric, one of her new friends. "Hey Eric!"

"Bella!" He was juggling fish bowls onto a top shelf, and when he put them down, he climbed down the latter and hugged her, "Hey girl!"

"Hey." She looked around the store. "I'm in serious need of dog wipes. Holmes got sick, and has almost constant nosebleeds now. I need to be able to clean his face."

"I'm not the pet section professional...let me call someone for you." He touched this walkie talkie that was on his belt, "Hey, Louis, I need you to help a friend of mine out. Can you do that?"

"Eric, I'm not a idiot. And I'm right here." Bella and Eric spun around to face the girl who had just shown up. It was the same girl as before, with the black hair and glasses. "Hey, again."

"Ha, hi." Bella blushed a little and checked her out as discreetly as possible. She failed.

"See something you like?" Bella ducked her head and covered her cheeks with her hands, hyperventilating. This girl wasn't this attractive the last time she'd seen her!

"Bella, was it?" the girl moved to stand near her, "I think I heard that you needed this?"

She handed her a package of dog wipes.

"T-Thank you."

"No problem." She winked and looked at Eric, "You had your walkie active for the past hour. The batteries are going to die, and then we will prove who the idiot around here is."

"Doubt it." Eric grinned, "Well, this is my new friend, Bella."

"I met her a while back." she put her hands on her hips, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Bella. How about we just make this official and I ask you out on a date?"

"R-Really?" Bella stood a little straighter. "If you say so."

"I do." the girl giggled, "Here. Call me whenever you're ready for that date, girlfriend."

"Tomorrow night would be nice. How about then? Meet me at the diner." Bella watched the girl's reaction and felt at ease. She wasn't kidding and wanted to go on a date with her.

"Sounds perfect."

Eric's jaw dropped as Bella reached for the paper and put in into her pocket. Louis turned around and sauntered away.

"Did that just happen?" Eric ran a hand through his hair, "I must be losing it."

"No, it happened." Bella grinned before turning around and paying for her wipes, walking out of the store faster than she'd gone in.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know. Holmes is sick.<strong>

**And...Another girl? What? Yeah. Her name is Louis. C: Anyway, hope you somewhat enjoyed this. The Cullens have officially been mentioned. I wonder if they'll actually show up in the next chapter? We'll just have to figure that out together.**

**Jacob is an asshole in this chapter...but only because he's got 'kinder-playground love' fever. The one where the little boy pushes the girl of his dreams and pulls her hair and makes her cry.**

**You'll find out why Bella hates the ocean later.**

**Be sure to come back tomorrow!**

**Namaste!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Namaste!**

**So, I made this one two thousand words longer than the last two chapters, and I hadn't even meant to. Ah, more for you guys to read. Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy your stay.**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Jessica<strong>

"Nice to see you look better, Bells." Jessica chuckled when Bella ducked her head and smiled sheepishly. "Is Holmes better now?"

"Yeah, he is..." Bella pulled her apron on and reached for a knife, only to have Jessica stop her. "Wha?"

"Boss pulled me aside this morning to talk about you and the performance you had last week. We both agreed that it may be time to give you different duties, until you are completely better." The dirty blond grinned, "So your back to being my rookie. No hard feelings."

"No such thing." Bella smiled a little sadly, "What are my new duties, by the way?"

"I figured we could have you busing tables. I know you hate the surfer boys that come through, but this way, you only have to clean up the tables, and not talk to them while taking orders." Jessica glanced at the door when it opened and cheered up immediately, "Welcome to SandShack Deli!"

"So what your saying is..." Bella narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"You have to go through the lions den wearing armor." Her friend turned to take the new customer's order and laughed at a joke he'd said. "Bella, your push cart is in the closet! Get started, deary!"

"Yeah, yeah." She sniffled. "First day back after being forced to go home, and they force me to 'mingle' with the stupid surfer boys. The nerve of some people!"

"I can still hear you!" Jessica glared at her friend, but grinned to let her know she didn't take what she said seriously. "Don't make me take a whip to your hide!"

"You and what army?"

"Oh, don't even go there! I can get all these surfer boys after your ass!"

"She's got that right!"

"Shut up, you!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Don't listen to her, she's just mad."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Don't encourage her."

"What did you say, Bella?"

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought. Now get started! Tables don't clean themselves!"

"Who did we have doing this before?"

"Thomas."

"Who is that?"

"I don't really know..." Jessica turned to the office to see the door closed, "Guess we'll never know."

"Guess not." She walked over to a dirty table and wrinkled her nose, "Hey Jess! Guess what."

"What? Other than the fact that its inappropriate to have personal conversations where customers can hear?" She snorted and winked at a surfer boy who happened to be looking her way. "Hello, you."

"I have a date tonight." Jessica, who had been handing someone a drink, dropped it, the contents of the cup spilling all over the counter and floor. She squeaked and bent down to grab the towel that was kept at knee height in case of things like this happening.

"I am so sorry! Let me clean this up really quick, and then I'll get you another cup!" She cleaned the spill up like a professional and wiped the sweat from her brow before running to wash her hands and get the man another cup of punch. "I am so sorry about that. I hope you enjoy your meal!"

She turned to look at her 'rookie' and gaped, eyes wide.

"You have a what now?"

"A date. With a cute girl." Bella sighed, eying a bent fork. Did people not appreciate the simple things in life anymore?

"Wait, you like girls?" Almost all the boys in the room turned to gawk at Bella, who blushed darkly before waving them all off.

"Not particularly. I mean, if they ask me out, why not? I'd rather not put a label on myself." The brunette shrugged and tossed the bent fork in the trash bin attached to her cart, "That way, I can say, 'I'm just Bella.'"

"That's because you are 'just Bella.'" Jessica looked over the receipts for a few minutes, "Anyway, who is it? Someone I know?"

"Maybe. Her name is Louis. Works at the pet store." Recognition crossed her face, and Jessica snapped her fingers.

"I went to high school with her. Had a big jock of a boyfriend back then, along with some sideline girlfriends..." As if remembering her fully, she frowned, "Bella, if I asked you to not date her, would you listen to me?"

"If you could give me a great reason not to, I might." The brunette looked seriously at her superior and tapped her foot. The other girl looked down at the counter in front of her, dragging her finger in a lazy pattern before looking at her rookie again.

"I'll talk to you about it after work. How does that sound?" Swan nodded, before turning back to her work, busying herself to make the hours go by faster.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Louis and their...date?<strong>

"Hey, you." Louis smiled, crossing her arms over her chest, "Fancy meeting here at the same time, huh?"

"Almost like fate." Bella chuckled, pulling her coat closer to her, "Do you always bring your dates to odd places in the park in the middle of the night?"

"Only the ones I like." She winked before tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I want to show you something. Come on."

She reached out a hand confidently, grasping Bella's slightly sweaty one.

"Don't be nervous, I don't bite unless you ask me for it specifically." She giggled, pulling Bella along with her. They walked up the concrete path that led through the trees, hand in hand. It was dark, and Bella had a hard time keeping up with her.

Minutes had gone by, and the brunette was beginning to wonder if they actually had a destination in the same state. As this thought crossed her mind, a thick root seemed to come up magically, tripping her. Not even Louis, as strong as she seemed to be, could stop her from an inevitable faceplant.

At least, that was what she thought was going to happen. Instead, she ended up falling into a lake she didn't even see. How did this end up here? She'd never know. What she did know, though, was that if she didn't struggle to the surface, she would probably drown.

Given her track record, she'd bet her ass she'd start struggling, for her sake.

"BELLA!" Louis' hands fumbled for the girl before she fell, and her heart stopped for a split second before she jumped in after the other girl. She squealed as she hit the surface of the water, shouting for Bella again. She took a deep breath and dove under, swimming and searching in the dark water for her new love interest.

A movement underneath her alerted her, and her hands automatically reached for the hand she knew would be there, waiting to grasp at her. When her fingers touched those slightly cold ones, she grasped them tightly and yanked the girl up, eyes wide when, by some odd action of the Gods and Goddesses, the moon sent a direct beam of light into the water.

Through the almost translucent water, Bella's chocolate eyes were visible to her. She would have gasped as she reached her free hand to grab Bella's shoulder, had they not been under water. They stared into each other's eyes for a split second, having completely forgotten the need to breathe.

Louis' inner self screamed at her to take this girl's lips to her own, make her think of only her. Want her to be only with her.

She moved closer to Bella, whose lips were turning a light blue, and pressed her lips to the other girl's. When she pulled away, Bella's eyes fluttered, her mouth opening, bubbles of air escaping her perfect mouth.

Louis, as if kicked out of a trance, snapped awake, and swam up the three feet or so to the surface, tugging Bella along with her. When they broke the surface, they both gasped, and Bella's head lolled to the side.

_'SHIT, I half drowned her!' _She grunted as she pulled Bella's seemingly dead weight out of the water, and onto the dirt bank. Once she had her up, she turned her over into the recovery pose and was at least happy that the girl was breathing. She glanced around to see where they'd fallen. She'd gotten a little off the path, which is why, instead of walking around the bank safely, they ended up falling off a small drop that led into the lake.

"Bella, are you alright there?" Louis tipped the girl's head toward her face, looking into those deep chocolate pools that enchanted her the moment they first met. "Please say yes."

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." The brunette closed her eyes and pinched her mouth shut tightly before mewling in discomfort, "I feel like I swallowed a frog."

"You might have. I'm sorry, I only wanted to show you the lake..." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "This is probably the worst date you've ever been on."

"No, not the worst. Unconventional? Yes. Worst? No." Bella chuckled, gasping a little, "However, I do think that in a while we should go home. It's getting colder."

"I still want you to see this place, if you're willing." Louis knelt near Bella, lifting the brunette into her arms and hugging her from behind. "Look at the way the moon hits the surface of the lake. It's so glassy, and reflects the image of the moon. The light sparkles a little, don't you agree?"

"I do. It's beautiful out here." Bella snuggled into the equally wet black-haired girl, the squish of the wet fabric enough to make her giggle. "Maybe next time, we'll bring a flashlight."

"You want to do this again?" The arms around Bella tightened slightly. "Really?"

"Yeah, of course I do." The brunette smiled gently, "I'd love to bring Holmes out here one day. When the sun is out."

"That's a great idea." Louis' nose nuzzled into Bella's exposed neck, sniffing slightly. The hair on Bella's arms and neck stood up at the odd action of Louis'. What was she doing?

"I think it might be time for me to go home now, I don't want to get sick...and Holmes is at home waiting for me. I forgot to give him his nightly medications." Bella sat up and turned to look at the other girl, "Think you can remember the way back?"

When her question was asked, Louis leaned forward again and captured Bella's pink lips, earning her a slight gasp and a tiny whimper. Louis, thinking this was a positive thing, swiped her tongue across Bella's lower lip, and it was then that the other girl pulled away.

It wasn't that Bella had never had sex. Oh, she had. Boys and girls both. However, she had decided to leave that behind in Phoenix. She was starting anew.

"Er...sorry." Bella blushed, standing up shakily. "I-I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."

"B-But...in the water..." Louis was glaring into the water, hands clenched tightly. "Do you not like me that way?"

"No, don't get me wrong, I do like you like that." Bella sighed, "I'm just not ready to get more physical then we already have, and I kinda wanted to pretend that kiss in the water didn't happen. I want to take my time, at our own pace, not sped up."

"I think I can live with that." Louis stood stiffly, taking Bella's hand a little firmly.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"Hey, buddy." Bella sighed as she laid on her bed face up, looking up in wonder at the large poster that dominated her wall. It was a wonderful sight, indeed. "Do you think I'll ever find someone as beautiful as Alice Cullen?"

A soft huff answered her, and Bella rolled over to look at Holmes, who was pretending to sleep. His tail wagged, giving him away, but Bella played along.

"Oh, I think I will someday. You need another parental figure, I can only do so much. Who knows, maybe the girl of my dreams or my destiny has a girl dog just for you. Like in that Scooby Doo movie, the one with the aliens?" The brunette eyed her dog, watching as his ears perked up. She sighed and grinned hugely. "Maybe I should just get you a girlfriend. Would that make you feel more manly? I know that Watson would never fill that type of role for you. Considering he's a cat."

"I always wondered what it would be like to have two dogs..." Bella thought it over for a second, and then scoffed. "Probably would drive me crazy."

She rolled back over and eyed poster Alice again.

"She's so hot. I'm glad I bought the damn poster." Her right hand came up, and she squinted one eye, "Watch, Holmes. I can squeeze her head between my fingers. Oh, that's unattractive." She moved her thumb and pointer fingers together, squeezing.

"Holmes, did I ever tell you about Louis? And how our date went?" She looked out the window to the clearly rising sun. she'd stayed up most of the night, thinking over her 'date' and how she was beginning to feel about Louis. "She kinda scared me."

"I don't know if I like her." light brown eyes moved over to ice blue ones. Eyes that never judged her or looked at her with hate or distrust. Ones that would always be there for her, with a great listening ear. "She...has a vibe or aura that rubbed me the wrong way last night. I don't know how to describe what I felt. I think you would have shied away from her."

"What to do..." Bella bit her lip in thought, footsteps on the stairs alerting her. Her father was awake now...and by the sounds of second, lighter footsteps, so was Dr. Hart. She chuckled silently. Who knew old Charlie had it in him?

Her phone ringing startled her right out of that train of thought, and she tumbled off her bed, wincing when her shoulder hit the ground. Holmes jumped right off his bed and to her, licking her face and whining. It was amazing how this dog knew she was hurting.

"I'm alright, boy, I'm fine." She grunted, her eyes screwed shut.

"BELLA! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Charlie was stomping up the stairs, shoving her bedroom door open, and by her side in an instant. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, my phone rang, it just scared me." She chuckled, sitting up and looking her father over. He was clean shaven, wearing a clean shirt, and had some nice cologne on. What was going on? "You smell nice."

"Oh, thanks." He blushed lightly, "Leslie and I have a date this morning."

"Ah, alright. That makes sense." Bella grinned, inwardly laughing. Charlie was taking her out for breakfast and such because he didn't want her to have to do 'the walk of shame'. Hilarious. "I uh...have work in about an hour."

"Who is going to watch Holmes for you?" He furrowed his brow. He didn't like the dog home alone because if he got sick, who was going to be around to see it and stop it?

"The neighbor agreed to watch him again. I kinda feel bad for leaving him with such a little old lady..." Bella rubbed her arm absently. "I should look into a dog sitter."

"Maybe." Charlie glanced behind him, where Leslie was standing awkwardly. "Hey there, honey. Come on in."

"Is it okay if I come in, Bella?" Her very light brown eyes were worried.

"Of course you can come in. it's clean today." She snorted as she laughed, "Where are you guys going this beautiful morning?"

"I'm taking her to eat at the diner for breakfast, and then we're going to walk in the park before we have to split for work." Charlie rubbed at his hair, fingering a strand of it nervously.

"Oh, that's cool. Hope you guys have fun." Bella looked at the floor, about to continue speaking, until her cell phone began to ring. "Ah, that's the deli."

"Then we'll be going now. Have fun today, Bells. But not too much fun." Charlie patted her head before standing up and leading Leslie out of her bedroom. Before the woman was out of sight, she turned her head and winked at Bella with a huge smile.

_'At least someone around here is happier than pie'_, Bella thought with a chuckle.

When her phone rang again, she grumbled about impatient blonds and flipped her phone open, "Hello?"

"Hey, you. It's me. I was wondering if you'd want to go out again tonight? Are you free?" A familiar voice filled the line, and Bella's lungs ceased function for a split second. Why they did that, she didn't even know.

"Louis?" Bella mentally slapped herself. Of course it was Louis!

"Yes, Bella. This is Louis. Do you have other girls that call you and go out on dates with you?" Louis laughed, but it sounded hollow, and in a way, most threatening. Bella shuddered and considered hanging up at that instant. "If you do, I'd like to know who the competition is, babe."

"Ah, no...I thought Jessica was calling me. She's a girl from work." Bella bit her lip and wondered if she remembered Jessica the way Jessica had remembered her.

"Jessica _Stanley_? You work with her? Good Lord, I must rescue you from that crazy bitch." Louis chuckled, but Bella was fuming inside. She doesn't know Jessica like she does... "I wonder if she'd tried to convince you how much of a horrible person I am. Has she told you anything about me?"

"Depends on what your version of 'anything' is." Bella sighed, looking over at Holmes, frowning. "She's a good friend of mine, you know."

"She isn't a good friend to anyone. She thinks she knows better than everyone else, and that she can do no wrong. She's so full of herself, it makes me sick. She's so self-righteous, and makes me out to be Satan." She hissed, "Don't believe anything she says, Bella."

"I can neither approve or disprove her claims, so I can't not listen to what she says about you." Bella shrugged, biting her lip. Louis couldn't see her shrug. "I just shrugged right then."

"So you're a little like her? You like gossip? Want to know something about your precious friend Jessica Stanley? Something that nobody else knows about?" The venom that was coming off the other girl made Bella want to cry, and it was hardly aimed at her. "Jessica-"

"Shut up. Now." Bella growled at the girl, running a frustrated hand through her chestnut locks, "She's my friend, and if this is how you're going to be about my friends, then I don't think we're meant to be."

"Wait, Bella!" Louis heard Bella pause, and attempted to take control of the situation again, but was failing with each word that slipped from her mouth, "Wait, please, baby, I just lost it for a second! I mean, Jessica is a little hussy and everything, and I still hate her, but-"

"Not making it better for yourself the more you talk." Bella snapped, almost silencing her.

"Okay, so when we were in high school, I once saw her sucki-"

"STOP! I'm going to count to three, and if you aren't done talking bad about Jessica, I'm going to hang up." Bella pinched the bridge of her nose and Holmes put his head on her lap, whining.

"She's such a stupid bitch! How could you defend her against me? I know her personally!" Louis was screaming now, not caring whether or not Bella hung up on her.

"One." Bella breathed, looking down at Holmes' worried blue eyes.

"Oh, don't get that way with me, Swan!" Louis shouted.

"Two." the brunette rubbed one of her dog's soft, fuzzy rectangular ear.

"Bella! Shut up!" Louis would come back on the phone once in a while after a slamming noise could be heard. Bella pulled the phone away from her ear and winced at the loud noise. It sounded like Louis was slamming her cell phone down onto the counter or table.

"Three." Bella sighed and moved to flip it closed to hang up on her. In hindsight, she should have just hung up a long time ago.

"Bella, baby, wait! I'm sorry!" brown eyes hardened as she snapped her fingers closed, closing the phone in the process. Let her suffer for a while.

"Time to go next door, Holmes." The brunette sighed and leashed her dog, leading him down the stairs and out the front door. She'd deal with Louis in a week or so. She'd be happy to throw herself into her work if it would distract her from the girl.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Louis<strong>

"Baby, I'm so glad you're speaking to me again!" Louis pounced onto her girlfriend of two weeks, sobbing into her neck. "I'm sorry I keep making you mad at me. I just can't control it, baby.."

"I know." Bella grimaced. Was she really still with this girl? Yeah, she was. Not that she hadn't tried breaking up with her. She had. Believe it. "Just try a little harder not to...i don't know."

"So what's the plan for today?" Louis clung to her 'girlfriend' and smiled gleefully. "Can we go on another date tonight?"

"I'm sorry...I have work all day today, double shift. One of the new girls quit already." Bella hated to lie about work, but she seriously couldn't stand being with this girl for more than half an hour. "It's getting really busy since the Competition is only about two weeks away."

"Oh..." Louis pouted, "So we can't hang out more today?"

"Fraid not. They've got my name all over the schedule for the rest of the week until Sunday. Then I'm going fishing with my dad all day Sunday...I'm sorry. I wish I had more time to do other things." Bella frowned and leaned away from the girl who was currently crushing and smothering her. Dude, it's called personal space...

"Maybe you can call in sick one day? Or ask for at least one day off? I haven't seen you since...the last time we fought, and I'd really like to...acquaint myself with your body...if you know what I mean..." The girl grinned as if she was the cat that caught the canary. "You've been pushing me away whenever I try, baby, and my patience only runs for so long before its gone."

"We've been together less than a week. Two weeks if you count the days we've fought and I've not spoken to you. No way in hell are you close to even second base." Bella snorted at her 'girlfriend'. The very idea of having sex with this girl, though she'd known her for two weeks or so, was idiotic and unthinkable. Hell would freeze over twice, melt and merge with Heaven before she even entertained the idea, much less went through with it.

"Oh, but they've been an amazing two weeks, haven't they?" She attempted to snuggle closer to Bella, but the brunette pushed her away and stood up.

"I have to get going. The boss will be calling for me any minute now if I don't hurry." Bella moved to the front door of her 'girlfriend's apartment. "Maybe I'll drop by when I get out."

"Then I'll be waiting." The black-haired girl grinned. "Wearing nothing."

"In that case, I may not be coming over." Bella frowned, "Holmes has been alone more often than I like."

"Oh, come on, baby, I was playing." The girl on the sofa pouted, "You know I was."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Bella rolled her eyes and left the apartment, her stomach clenching in nerves. What was it about that girl that made her want to run away and hide?

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and The Cullen Five minus One<strong>

"Are you sure this surfing competition is in two weeks and not tomorrow?" Bella grumbled as she fixed another free sandwich. It was great to be back on kitchen detail, but seriously...these bastards were eating the deli out of house and home already. "The surfer punks are flocking the area, and aren't paying for a damn thing."

"Just be glad it isn't coming out of your pay." Jessica cackled, "Hello! Welcome to SandShack Deli!"

"I would quit if that was the case." Bella grinned at Jessica, who turned her hurt expression to her new best friend. "And, before you ask, yes, I would leave you here to hold the fort on your own."

"You wouldn't!" Jessica whimpered, glancing at the line in front of the counter. "They'd eat me alive! I wouldn't survive a day without you, Bella."

"I believe that." The brunette nodded, glancing at the girl who came up next. "What can I get you today?"

The redhead in front of her twirled her curly locks while looking up at the chalkboard menu that hung behind Bella's and Jessica's head. She bit her lip before sucking it slightly into her mouth, sighing. Bella blinked in boredom and glanced at her partner, who had the same expression.

"Anytime, honey. The people behind you are starting to look a little impatient." Bella snapped, and the redhead glared at her. "Just stating a fact."

"Well, keep your facts to yourself. If I wanted your facts, I would ask for them." The redhead snapped back, "So shut up and wait for me to decide what I want."

"Then let me help you decide." Bella turned to view the board and pointed at a sandwich. "That one is good. You should eat that."

"I said, I didn't care much for your opinion!" Green eyes flashed harshly, and the girl leaned over the counter to get in the brunette's face, only stopping when a voice called over them all, making the room go quiet.

"Now, now, Vicky." A smooth, irresistible voice drizzled, like honey over the crowd, "That's no way to speak to someone who will possibly be preparing your food."

A tall, blond bombshell moved through the parting crowd, much like Moses and the Red Sea. The sway in her hips was almost cat-like, and it made Bella's mind stop short for a second, before she turned her attention back to the redhead, who was fuming angry now.

"What do you want, Rosie? When did you and your band of idiots show up here, anyway?" She sneered, her round face pulling into a grimace when the blond sneered right back.

"You know I live to make you suffer, Howard." Blue eyes narrowed with humor. "Just like back in Rio and Lanzarote."

"Ladies, please." Jessica was starting to panic, "We're all about peace and harmony here!"

"Shut it, Cullen! The only reason you got Lanzarote was because you seduced James! That's the only reason!" The redhead screamed now, and it made Bella's ears ring.

The brunette turned to her working partner and mouthed, 'Lanzarote?'

Jessica shrugged, her eyes flickering nervously between the two girls.

"Rose, stop it." A blond man came up behind her and grasped the blond's arm, pulling her back gently. "You're making trouble for the girls working here."

"Thank you." Bella's chocolate eyes locked with blue ones that were identical to Rose's.

"And you are?" He smiled at Bella, and Jessica huffed next to her.

"Uh...Bella." He reached a hand out, and Bella took it, giving it two small pumps before pulling away. "It's nice to meet you...?"

"Jasper, I'm Jasper Hale." He motioned to the blond girl next to him, "This is my sister Rosalie."

"Where is my Rosie?" A bellowing filled the air, and the blond boy palm faced.

"Emmett, calm down. She is at the counter ordering our food, remember?" A velvety voice came soon after, and Bella bit her lip and tried to think of where she'd heard the names before.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S EDWARD CULLEN! OH MY GOD!" A girl squealed aloud, screaming quite horribly. It was followed by the rest of the girls in the room doing the exact same thing.

"EDWARD! OH, PLEASE SIGN MY BOARD!"

"NO, EDWARD! LOOK AT ME!" That girl flashed him her goods, unfortunately, he wasn't even looking at her. No, he was looking right at the brunette behind the counter. He eyed her up and down, grinning in a broken way. His copper colored hair looked much like sex hair, and Bella didn't know if she liked it or not. Probably not.

"Hello...my name is Edward Cullen." He purred to Bella, who snorted, looking at Jessica, who looked closed to orgasming where she stood.

"Apparently. If the screams didn't give you away, I don't know what would have." The tall man following Edward guffawed, the support of the building shaking. Seriously?

"Edward, look! Finally! A girl who doesn't swoon at the very sight of you or the knowledge of who you are!" The man clutched at his stomach, his eyes watering. He looked up at Bella, and then at

'Edward', before bursting into tears as he laughed again. "Oh, I like her."

Edward looked a little put off that a girl who didn't want him could even exist. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Can we order food now?" Emmett wiped at his eyes and grinned, producing a black plastic card. "We're actually paying for this stuff."

Bella nodded, eying Victoria, who was still glaring at Rosalie. Then she looked at the line of people, who were no longer interested in getting food, but gawking and hitting on the people in front of her.

"So, if you don't mind me asking before I get your orders...who are you all?" Jasper grinned at the brunette, so did the rest of them, with the exception of Edward. "I mean, I heard Cullen once or twice, but I mean...I don't know how popular the name is. No harm in asking, right?"

"Yeah, we are the Cullen Five. The only surfers with the last name Cullen." Emmett leaned forward, hovering over Rosalie. "The blonds are Hales, but they're married into the family. One of our members isn't here, though."

"Ah, that makes sense. I'd only counted four." Bella nodded, and once again, looked at Jessica, who had busied herself chopping vegetables to keep herself from looking like a drooling idiot. What she said next she'd said nonchalantly, and it made all of them gape at her. "Alice isn't here. So, what can I get you all?"

"Wait, you didn't know who we were, but you know Alice?" The brunette blushed darkly at the heated look Edward was giving her. "What the hell?"

"I-I am a new fan of surfing, I will admit. I heard good things about her, is all." She unfolded her small notepad and took the pen that was always located behind her ear down, snapping it open. "Food?"

"Ah, yes." Jasper sighed, "I'll have the chicken club sandwich and a pepsi."

"I'll have the Big Brotha Bacon Potato, a large grilled chicken sandwich, and a meatball marinara sandwich. I'll have a root beer with that." Emmett grinned hugely, "Gotta feed my manly appetite."

"I want the baja chicken salad." Edward frowned at Bella, "And a glass of water. Less calories."

"Oh, do you want to try our new diet water? It's amazingly good. Lighter than water." Bella said it in total seriousness, so Edward believed her.

"You have diet water? I'll take that." He grinned at her, and she laughed aloud. So did Emmett and Jasper. He glanced at them curiously, "What's so funny?"

"Diet water, Edward?" Rosalie chuckled, "Really?"

"What? I have to watch my figure!" He pinked and turned around to glare at Bella. "What's your problem?"

"I don't have one." Bella shrugged. "I'll assume you still want the water."

"I want the philly deli sandwich. Sprite would be great with that." Rosalie winked at Bella for her awesomely timed joke. "Don't take Edward seriously. He's such a diva."

"I am not a diva!" He pouted and turned away, Jasper rubbing his shoulders to calm him down. Bella blushed and looked over at Rosalie, who winked again with a smile.

"So, how much do we owe ya?" Emmett held the card out again, and Bella waved him off, "Come on, it's a lot of food..."

"It's on the house for entertaining me so thoroughly. Don't worry about it." She looked over at Jessica, who seemed to agree with her words. Amusing, they were. "Go ahead and sit anywhere. When the food is ready, I'll take it out to you guys."

Jasper nodded, and dragged his siblings to an empty table in the middle of the small deli. When they moved, the crowd seemed to move along with them, hovering over them.

"I wonder if they get sick of that type of attention, or if they like it." Bella muttered to herself before she started working on their order. Thank god none of the surfer kids were still around. She didn't want to deal with any more of them for at least an hour.

She had done the finishing touches on the food for the Cullen Five minus One, and walked out with Jessica, placing the trays down on their tables with a smile. Jessica waved timidly to them and sprinted back behind the counter.

The crowd still hovered over them, and Bella turned around when someone accidentally shoved her, making her lose her balance and tip forward, but not fall.

"People! Back off! Give them breathing space, or I'll have you all cleared out!" Bella shouted over the buzzing of talking and whispering, and instantly everyone backed off, most of them leaving the deli, others hovering over to the walls, still whispering and talking. "Sorry about that."

"No, no...thank you. Nobody ever does that for us." Rosalie smiled widely, "That was amazingly thoughtful of you."

"Ah, it was nothing. I honestly get sick of all these kids hovering over the real surfers around here. Well, enjoy your meals." She tipped her head slightly before going back to her perch behind the counter, her stool sliding out from under the counter.

Bella spun around in the seat for a few minutes, glad that nobody had walked in for a while. She was glad for the small break, and so was Jessica, by the way she was slouched over, leaning against the refrigerator. Poor girl, she practically lived here in the deli.

Bella noticed that some of the sandwich fixings were running dangerously low, so she took it upon herself to refill the baskets. She bent down underneath the counter to the small fridges that were under it, reaching in to grab what she needed.

The doorbell rang, and Bella automatically waited three seconds before she heard light footsteps coming up to the counter, hands patting softly on the counter.

"Welcome to SandShack Deli. I'll be with you in a moment." Bella huffed as her hand was caught between packages of sandwich meats. She yanked a few out and pulled the thin wax paper dividers off before placing the meats in their designated slots on the table.

She finally glanced up and blinked back her shock.

It was Alice Cullen. The _ALICE CULLEN! _

"H-Hi." Bella swallowed hard and smiled nervously, "W-What can I get for you?"

"I actually want the..." She bit her lip and looked at the sweeter end of the menu, before her eyes flickered down to the girl who was to take her order, "What's good here?"

"Everything is good here, depending on what you like." Bella looked at Jessica, who was actually passed out. Oh dear. "Were you looking to get something sweet?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what I wanted." The pixie-like girl nodded gently. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"Yes, actually." Bella flicked her hair behind her shoulder, annoyed with the length already. She should have cut it when she had the chance a few days ago when Charlie went for a cut. "I am a fan of our freshest fruit smoothie. I can make one for you, and if you don't like it, we can try again."

Bella wanted to slap herself. She normally didn't offer things like that, but she felt as if, for this angel, she could. She smiled again, and Alice nodded enthusiastically.

"Then I will be right back." Bella turned and was about to exit the thin wooden door that led outside, when the girl's voice came from directly behind her.

"Where are you going?" She cocked her head to the side curiously, and the brunette could only giggle lightly, swiping at her bangs absently. "Aren't you going to make me a smoothie?"

"Yes, but I need to go pick the fruit for it. It's called the freshest fruit smoothie for a reason." Bella pushed the door open and walked out, a little worried about leaving the deli mostly unmanned. Jessica was still asleep! "Here we go."

Bella picked up a basket from the stack by the door and walked up to the various fruit trees that grew along the path. She picked a few strawberries, a banana, an orange, a few cherries and a few other things. She had been a little embarrassed about picking the cherries out of the tree, as she had to climb up on a ladder to reach them.

"This is what I like to see." Alice nodded to herself. "You work for the money you earn."

"That's the idea." Bella chuckled, blushing a little, "Even though most of the people that come into the deli don't pay for their food. It's a thing the boss has going. Surfers get their food for free. He considers that doing his part to help and support the surfers. Or something like that."

"That's awful nice of him." The small girl laughed, "I can only imagine they are horrible tippers?"

"Tippers? Ha! They tip me their gum stuck to the bottom of the tables and bent silverware. Those are my tips." Bella grumbled with a grin before walking back into the deli with Alice, shooing her back onto the customer's side of the counter.

She threw the fruits into the blender after washing them, and tossed ice cubes and a scoop or two of ice cream. When it was done, she poured it into a cup and handed it to Alice after capping it and pushing a straw through the lid. "Hope you enjoy it. Your family is over there."

She pointed at where Emmett was still downing food, his siblings talking quietly to each other. They were so into whatever they were talking about, they hadn't even noticed Alice come in and get something for herself.

"Alright. Thank you!" Alice giggled, before grasping the straw between her lips and suckling gently. When the pinkish mix entered her mouth, Alice's eyes widened, sparkling, and she smiled hugely. "It's absolutely amazing! You have a talent!"

"Err...making smoothies isn't that great of a talent. Thanks for the enthusiasm anyway." Bella walked over to Jessica and nudged her, making her jump up in a panic.

"Whoa, did I miss anything?" She stood up, her hands shaking. "Oh god, I fell asleep on the job, didn't I?"

"Don't worry, nobody noticed." Bella smiled at her friend and glanced at the clock, "It's almost time for me to clock out. Another half hour. If you want, you can go to sleep, and I'll wake you up before I leave."

"Hey!" Alice's small frame leaned over the counter to look for Bella again, and when she did, a group of surfer boys came in, immediately spotting the pixie's bent frame.

"Dude." One of the boys grinned dirtily, and Bella noticed. Her arms tensed at her sides, and she marched right where Alice was bent over trying to catch her attention.

"Yes, Alice?" The girl's amber eyes widened and she smiled brilliantly.

"You know my name? But I don't even know yours! That isn't fair at all." The girl pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, tell me your name now."

"It's Bella." She glanced over the other girl's head and saw the boys still gawking at Alice's rear. She looked at Alice, who didn't notice, and turned quickly, filling a large glass with water. She turned back around and placed it down on the counter, much to Alice's confusion. "How are you liking the general area, Alice?"

"It's a really nice location. I like it, and so do my parents." She giggled, "What's the water for?"

"Don't worry about it." She looked down at the girl, who was biting her lip again, in an absolutely adorable way, bringing her smoothie back to her lips. When her plump lips circled the straw, Bella blushed and looked away. The look in those golden eyes as she did it...

She shuddered, and looked at the boys, who had yet to look away from Alice's ass.

"Hey, are you guys going to continue staring?" She asked quite loudly, but they still didn't seem to realize that they were openly gawking at a girl's ass. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She tipped forward a little and whispered to Alice. "When I count to three, I want you to lean forward on the counter. No questions, you got it?"

Alice was confused, but nodded anyway.

Emmett, back at the table, noticed what the boys were doing. And boy, did it piss him off.

"Those guys are checking Ali out." His big brother side was coming out, and was getting ready to pound the shit out of stupid guys. Nobody does that to his little Ali! He stood up, ready to storm over, but paused when Bella gave him a 'shut up and sit down' look.

He did as it ordered, and looked at Rosalie, who was looking, along with Edward and Jasper, at what was happening at the order counter.

"Ready?" Alice nodded again, giggling. "One...Two...Three."

She bent her small frame forward in time to avoid the large stream of water that flew above her head and splashed right onto the three boys behind her in a horizontal slash. They looked around in shock before glaring at her.

"What the hell, bitch?"

"What the fuck is your deal?"

"Bitch!"

"You three best learn to keep your eyes to yourself." Bella glared at them right back, "Now get the hell out of here. I'm tired of seeing your ugly faces already."

"We'll be back!" The smallest one threatened, and Bella pretended to be afraid, her hands shaking. "You best be scared!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm freaking terrified. Don't worry, I'll be here." She saluted them lazily, and the three of them ran off. "I hate surfer boys."

"What just happened?" Alice laughed aloud, reaching over and patting Bella's hand. When her skin made contact with Bella's, electric spikes went through her skin and up her arm, straight to her heart. From there, it made a direct line to her core, making her shiver.

_'What the hell was that?'_ She blinked and just smiled at the smaller girl.

"Ah, nothing for you to worry about." Bella took the cup back to the sink before returning to her post. "I'm sorry about that."

_'Oh please, touch me again! I want to know what that was!' _She bit her lip and was close to asking her if she felt that electric current, but stopped in her tracks when a familiar figure was running up to the counter.

"What the hell, Bella?" Familiar black hair swished furiously as the girl shook her head, probably in anger. "Is this what you do on the job? I've been here for twenty minutes, and you've yet to really work!"

"Louis, calm down." Bella rolled her eyes, and glanced down at Alice, who didn't look happy in the least bit. "I'm almost out."

"You damn well better be!" She was about to turn and stomp off, when Alice spoke up.

"If that wasn't rude, I don't know what is." Alice could almost hear the other girl tense up. When she glared at her, Alice turned to look right into the glare, "You should be nicer to her."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Louis' hands clenched tightly, her brown eyes harsh. "I'll speak to my girlfriend any way I like! And don't think I didn't see your hand on her, you fucking midget."

"I'm not a midget." Alice turned her nose up at Louis, meeting Bella's eyes sadly. "Is she really your girlfriend? She's so horrible to you."

"That's none of your business." Louis snapped at the smaller girl, almost pressing her chest into Alice's side, trying to knock her out of the way or intimidate her.

"Louis, please back off." Chocolate glared into coffee, and the 'girlfriend' turned an odd shade of purple before turning on her heel and storming off, out of the deli. Bella sighed, and knew she'd have to answer to her before she'd shut up. "I'm sorry about her. She's an odd one. She's got a mega Fight or Flight thing going on. She comes in doses."

"There's definitely something odd about her." Alice nodded her head in agreement, her golden eyes still sorrowful. "So she's seriously your girlfriend?"

"Y-Yeah," Bella tilted her head in confusion, "Why, are you jealous?"

"You could most definitely say that." Alice sighed and reached into her pocket, pulling out a card with her name on it. "That's my number down on the bottom. Call or text me sometime."

When their fingers brushed, Alice's eyes fluttered slightly, but bit her lip and smiled quickly at Bella before going to where her brothers and sister were sitting. They looked about ready to leave.

"Thanks for the food, Bella!" Emmett shouted, scaring everyone in the deli, and Alice followed up with her own, "Thanks for the smoothie! Call me!"

Bella just smiled and began chopping vegetables for the salad bar. Within a few minutes, she was done with that, and went to stir the soups that had been left to simmer.

She glanced at the clock, and then to the seriously pissed looking Jessica.

"Times up. Are you mad?" She fluttered her eyelashes at Jess, who scoffed at her, and punched her playfully. "It was for Alice Cullen's sake."

"Yeah, I saw that. I'm not mad. I'm furious, but not at you. Never at you." The dirty blond just sighed and enveloped the taller girl into a hug. "Go home, rookie. Tomorrow will probably be worse."

* * *

><p><strong>Lots of words. Anyway, have you figured out that we should all hate Louis? <strong>

**Just a tip here, Edward is pretending to be straight for the sake of the fan girls surrounding them. Jasper got his hands in once, if you remembered it. **

**Thanks for reading guys, and I hope you know that your reviews make me feel all fuzzy inside. **

**Namaste!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Namaste!**

**As you can see, I have updated. It's been an awful long and tiring day, and my boyfriend's uncle's funeral was this morning. His family is having a hard time.**

**Stuff gets cleared up here, so I hope you guys enjoy it. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella, Louis and... Alice.<strong>

"Fine, I'll take you," Bella snapped, "Just stop crying about it already!"

Bella had just gotten home when a sobbing Louis called her, bitching about how she was hitting on other girls and she didn't want her anymore. Of course, she was right, but Bella wasn't the type to just leave someone for someone else... though she could make an exception for Alice Cullen.

"B-But baby, you-you...you were f-flirting with t-that midget!" Louis wailed over the line, making Bella want to stuff cotton into her ears. That, or just hang up to save herself the torture.

"Where do you want to go?" Bella groaned as she heard what 'girlfriend' had said as an answer. "You seriously want to go to the movies? Why? There aren't any good movies out."

"Babe, please! I want to see that devil movie!" She whined, and Bella had to bite her tongue from telling her that she herself was the fucking devil.

"Whatever."

(At the movie theater)

"Thanks for bringing me to see this movie, baby." Louis leaned closer to kiss Bella as she was paying for their movie tickets. Bella leaned away as she handed the girl a twenty and gently pushed 'girlfriend' away. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Stop." Bella hissed and yanked her arm away from the black-haired conniving bitch. "I'm already tired, and your clingy antics are frustrating me."

"If you want, I can...cure you of your frustrations." She winked and bit her lip, as if she was the cutest damn thing on the planet. "When we get in the theater."

_'And here I was hoping she would suggest that she go play in traffic. I suppose I can only be so lucky.' _Bella sighed aloud, rolling her eyes at her 'girlfriend' before moving away from her, leaving her behind to pout at her back. _'Why the hell am I still with her? Oh yeah, because she does shit that scares me.'_

"Oh, I have to go to the little girl's room...I'll be right back, baby." Louis giggled as she left Bella's side, almost running to the bathroom in heels that were a tad too high for her. Bella just sighed, and rubbed her temples.

"Bella!" the brunette spun around immediately upon hearing that voice, and she instantly knew who it was. Her face cracked into a huge grin, and she couldn't be happier to see that particular girl, who was dressed quite nicely in a dark green dress that left her knees exposed and some dark brown flats. Her hair was lying flat against her head, curling gently at the ends. "Hey, Bella."

"Hey guys." Browns locked with ambers as the five surfers from earlier and two strangers joined her at the concession stand. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Bella, these are our parents, Carlisle and Esme." Rosalie, who was wearing dark jeans and a white button up, motioned to the blond man and his brunette wife. "Mom, dad, this is Bella from the deli."

"Ah, the famous Bella." The blond man came forward and shook hands with the brunette, smiling kindly, and was dressed very doctorly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." She nodded at Esme, dressed in an emerald green dress like Alice's, before turning back to the 'kids', "What are you guys watching?"

"The Possession!" Emmett hooted, "I love exorcism movies!"

"Until they seem too real to you, and then you insist that we watch cartoons for the next month until you get over it." Jasper cackled, laughing aloud when Emmett whacked at him in embarrassment. "Don't be mad at the truth."

"I'm here watching the same thing." She could hear the 'girlfriend' heels clicking towards her and winced, "Brace yourselves."

"Bella, baby, who is this?" Louis eyed all of the taller people, narrowing her eyes when she looked at Alice as if she were a threat to her existence. "Ah, it's the surfer brats from SandShack."

"Excuse me?" Edward sniffed, "We aren't surfer brats. We are athletes, not kids with a hobby. We are professionals."

"Professional at sucking a dick, is what you look like." Louis grinned, "Bet you like that type of thing."

"You look like a professional psychotic bitch. Bet you enjoy that too." Rosalie jumped to defend her brother and hissed when Louis invaded her personal space. "You'd best back the fuck up, bitch."

"Why don't you fucking make me? I'd love to dig my fucking heels into your spine, you blond cunt." Rosalie's eyes widened in shock. This bitch seriously wanted to go this far?

"Whoa, whoa, ok, stop." Bella stepped in between the Cullens and 'girlfriend', and pushed back harder on Louis, who was looking quite relative to a pitbull at that moment. "Louis."

"What, Bella? Are you going to tell me to back off again and expect me to do it?" The girl pulled off her glasses and folded them, sticking them in her purse, "Because that isn't happening today, no way."

"Then let me just tell you something." Bella leaned closer to Louis, glaring right into her eyes, "If you start shit right here and now and throw down with Rosalie here, you can be damn sure you won't ever hear from me again. I'll have you arrested for fighting, and you know I can. So think really hard before you pull shit like that in public around me and embarrass me."

"B-But...Bella..." Louis started to cry, "I didn't mean it, baby, I'm sorry!"

"Take your ticket and go watch the movie." She handed the girl her ticket and gave her a twenty, "If you want snacks, go buy them before the movie starts."

"Where are you going?" Her dark eyes were now hard and cold. It made the Cullens stiffen, the look 'girlfriend' was giving Bella. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving. I can't stand to be seen with you any longer tonight." Bella spat, running a hand through her hair, "Don't bother calling me for the rest of the week if you're gonna keep having these little shit fits of yours."

"You don't mean that..." Louis looked over at Alice, who looked smug. Her golden eyes softened when she caught Bella's eyes. Louis didn't like that at all. "Stop looking at my girlfriend, you midget bitch!"

"At this rate, she won't be your girlfriend for much longer." Emmett guffawed, "Even I can see that."

"Shut up you fucking ape." She hissed at the big man, who just grinned at her.

"Thank you for using such primitive language in front of our parents. We really appreciate it." Jasper frowned and some type of southern accent leaked in with his sarcasm.

"Fuck you, you Okey Twang dick licker." Bella pinched the bridge of her nose again and threw her hands up in the air, her face turning red.

"Okay! I'm officially leaving _now. _Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, I am so sorry about her. I don't even know why I associate with her. I hope the next time we meet...it will be without her to offend you." Light brown eyes locked with blues and greens. "I really am sorry."

"You aren't the one who should be apologizing, Bella, dear." Esme smiled at her and turned her frown to Louis, "You, my dear, need a lesson in manners."

"Forgive me for not giving a shit about what you have to say to me." Her dark brown eyes narrowed at the glare Carlisle was giving her. "What the fuck are you looking at?"

"Go watch the damn movie." Bella turned on her heels and walked off, gasping as quietly as possible, as to not alert anyone while running her hands through her hair. She pushed the glass doors open and when the cold air blasted against her heated skin, she gasped.

_'Oh lord, that feels good.' _She bit her lip as she thought of the Cullens and her stupid 'girlfriend'. She just totally embarrassed her in front of a famous family. What the hell is her main problem? _'I'm __totally breaking up with her soon enough. I can barely stand the bitch anymore.'_

She pulled out her inhaler from her bag and shook it twice before popping it open and breathing in the medicine. She blew it out after about twenty seconds, and giggled at the puff of misted air escaped her mouth. She capped it up again, and threw it back in her bag, and just in time, too.

"So where are you headed?" A familiar voice chirped beside her, and the brunette smiled a little, glancing at the short pixie that was gazing at her happily. "Not home, I hope."

"Actually, I was going home. Do you have something else in mind?" She pulled her arms to her chest and tilted her head in curiosity. "Because I am open to options."

"I had seen a plaza a few blocks back that had an ice cream shop. Want to go there instead? I'd really hate for you to end your night on such bad terms." Alice's miraculously white cheeks suffused with blood, making them appear rosy, her amber eyes sparkling, "It's a bad idea to go to bed angry."

"Oh? Why is that?" She took a few steps forward, looking back to see Alice pause for a second, before following her without hesitation.

"Some say that if you go to bed angry, one day, you just won't wake up." She winked, "Though, the end result is the same, whether your angry or not."

"That makes sense." Bella nodded, her lips curling further. "To the plaza?"

"To the plaza." Alice giggled, leading Bella to her car, a bright yellow Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell, as the taller girl had come with Louis in her beat up metal bucket of a Chevy. Bella joked inwardly that Louis should ride a broomstick, it was fitting.

"Nice car. It's so...yellow." Bella wheezed, running her hand on the top of it in admiration. "Very beautiful."

"Thank you." Alice smiled and nodded at her, "The same could be said of you. Besides the yellow part."

"Why, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Even if you were comparing me to a car." Bella winked and pulled open the door, jumping back in surprise when the door opened in the _upward _direction, instead of the regular way, and climbed into the car, Alice following on the driver's side.

"I was comparing you to a very nice, expensive, fast car. You should be proud." Alice started it up, and the purr of it was comforting.

The ride to the plaza was filled with a comfortable silence. Neither girl felt the need to speak, and the radio was off. Alice didn't like the stations in the area, so she opted to listen to either CDs or silence. The latter was her current favorite at the moment.

"So...how long have you been with that girl?" Alice bit her lip and glanced over at her new friend, who was gripping the seat in her hands a little tightly.

"Less than a month." Bella sighed and leaned back, her head rolling over to look out the tinted window. "I've been trying to break away from her."

"Like a tapeworm?" Alice grinned, and flashed her teeth at her new friend, who looked at her in shock. "Much like that?"

"What? Only you, Alice, would think of it the same as a tapeworm." Bella chuckled, her hair falling around her shoulders and framing her face. "But...no. Not the same as a tapeworm. See, a tapeworm breaks apart, but the original part stays in your body. I don't want any part of her hanging around."

"Can I ask, other than the obvious, what the reasons you want to break up with her are?" Alice glanced over her shoulder to change lanes, and nearly squealed when they ended up in the parking lot of the ice cream shop she'd spotted earlier.

"Honestly? She's possessive, and doesn't let me have friends without her permission, which is insane, because I'm not a pet. Secondly, she's dirty. She leaves her socks on my floor, leaves dirty dishes on the kitchen table, and doesn't clean up after herself. She litters, too. She makes me angry, all the time. And that, in itself, must be a talent of hers, because it's nearly impossible to get me as riled as she gets me." Bella blushed, and wrung her hands together, "Uh, sorry about that. I don't normally vent that way."

"That's fine. I'm used to people venting to me. Especially Rose." She giggled, running a hand through her short, black hair that stuck up from the back of her neck. "I really don't mind."

"I usually vent to my best friend...but seeing as he isn't here..." The girls looked at each other, and Alice's hands fell to her thighs. She fiddled with the fabric of her leggings before looking down at her shoes. So tasteful.

"Who is your best friend?" Timid gold eyes looked up, "Do you have feelings for him?"

"Actually, I do have feelings for him. I love him so much." Bella grinned, but faltered slightly at Alice's expression. She couldn't read it. "I wish I could bring him everywhere I go, but he's sick."

"Oh? What does he have?" Alice's father was a doctor, so she had been born curious about health things and the like. It was a dream of hers to continue in her fathers footsteps when he retired, though she wanted to live out her shelf life as a surfer for as long as possible before that came to pass.

"He has something called Von Willebrand Disease." Alice's face looked horrified at what she said, "I take it you know what that is?"

"Of course I know what that is! That's horrible..." The pixie bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She knew a little girl who was one of her father's patients who had that. She'd died at the age of eight. It was truly tragic. "What kind of medication do they have him on? He must have a whole pharmacy at his disposal."

"Yeah, he does. They gave me almost twelve different medications for him." Bella looked at her watch, and from the ease of the movement, Alice could tell she'd done it by habit now. "In fifteen minutes, he would be getting two pills, three mills of a pink liquid, four mills of a brown liquid, and two mills of a yellow liquid, in that order."

"You seem really involved with his treatment." Alice's eyes sparkled again. She truly cared for her friend, and it showed through her knowledge of his medications. "Care to go with me to get some ice cream now?"

"Oh, yeah." Bella giggled, her shoulders shaking slightly as she leaned forward, her forehead almost touching the leather skinned dashboard of the car. "Let's go."

Alice climbed out quickly, running and sliding over the hood of her car, making it in excellent time to open Bella's door for her, and help her out.

"Aren't you a speedy, stuntly gentlewoman?" Bella took the offered hand and stood up from the relatively low car, "Do you always rush to open doors for girls?"

"Only the ones I like." Alice winked, and Bella felt a blush dominate her face.

"How sweet of you." Bella felt Alice's fingers tighten slightly around her fingers as she failed to release her hand. "Because you've been so sweet, I'll pay for your ice cream tonight. You can have whatever you want."

"Excellent! I knew my stuntly self would charm you into letting me have what I want." The shorter girl shrugged with a smile, "I am wonderful, aren't I?"

"That you are." Bella nodded with a playful gleam in her eyes. They walked to the glass doors of the ice cream shop, and entered, shocking the boy behind the counter. Bella recognized him instantly and waved at him happily. "Hey there, Seth!"

"Bella!" He waved back enthusiastically, grinning like a fool. "And who is this with yo-"

He stiffened and looked closely at Bella's friend, who was still holding hands with her. Alice just smiled kindly, and Seth blinked in confusion.

"I've seen you before...where...?" He scratched the back of his head before sighing and giving up. "Nevermind. A friend of Bella's is a friend of mine."

"Thank you." Bella reached over and ruffled his slightly gelled hair, "So what's the special today, pup?"

"Blueberry Pie with a waffle cone and chocolate drizzle." He wrinkled his nose at the chocolate part, "Gross, I know."

"I don't like blueberry in ice cream, so I won't be venturing there." Alice giggled, "Can I have Rocky Road, in any of its many varieties? A plain waffle bowl would be great."

"That actually sounds good." Bella nodded in appreciation of this girl's taste. "That's one of my favorites. I will have the Cherries Jubilee, that will be in a waffle cone."

"I love Cherries Jubilee!" Alice gushed, eyes wide, "We must be twins separated at birth!"

"The twins part, I'm not so sure. The separated at birth part, maybe. When were you born?" Bella watched as Seth made their treats up, and handed them to them once they were done.

"Your total is 8.50, Bells." Seth took a ten that Bella handed him, and the brunette turned back to Alice, who looked thoughtful.

"You do remember your birthday, right?" That brought Alice out of her reverie, and she shook her head, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, I always think about birthdays and whose is next and things like that. But mine is March 28, 1992." She scooped a little ice cream with her spoon and put it in her mouth, whimpering slightly. The noise she made had Bella squirming on her stool, a white hot heat striking her nerves, arousal imminent. "When is your birthday?"

"September 13, 1991." Alice's eyes widened before she threw her head back and laughed, nearly falling out of her chair, had Bella not grasped her arm before she was able to fall.

"You're old!" Bella scowled before considering letting Alice fall at this point.

"That's so rude. I am not old. Twenty isn't old. Just a little older than you." Bella huffed, making the small girl look at her worriedly, "You shouldn't make fun of another girl's age."

"I'm sorry, I didn't offend you, did I? I didn't mean to." She played with her ice cream now, actually worried that she'd upset her friend.

"No, I'm not really mad." Bella chortled, "You should have seen your face."

"Hey, that was mean." The pixie pinched Bella's arm, making her flinch and laugh while trying to get away. "How could you?"

"You know what would have been even meaner than that?" Bella leaned closer to Alice and grinned, "Letting you fall when you threw yourself back while laughing. I had actually thought of it."

Alice's eyes fluttered before she gasped. "You would have let me fall?"

"If I knew I wasn't going to freak out and rush you to the hospital for a possible concussion or head wound, yeah. Fortunately for you, I'm a Panicking Paula when it comes to things like that." She shrugged, eying Alice's ice cream, "You are still eating that, aren't you?"

"Yeah, why?" She locked her golden eyes with Bella's chocolate ones as Bella took Alice's ice cream into one hand, bringing it up to her mouth and licking the creamy chocolate before the pixie could stop her. "BELLA!"

"What? I wanted to taste it, and you never offered any to me. So now, I got a taste, and I can die happy." Alice blushed darkly before daringly, she snatched Bella's ice cream from the other girl's hand and licked it around lavishly. Twice.

"Hey, I only licked your ice cream once!" Bella reached for her ice cream, only for Alice to move it out of her range. "Give it back, that isn't fair."

"ALICE CULLEN!" Both girls flinched at the loud shriek, glancing at where the loud noise had come from. Seth. "YOUR ALICE CULLEN!"

"Er...yes?" The girl frowned at the boy, who had ruined their moment. Good thing, too. Bella was many things, but a cheater, even an almost cheater, she was not. She blushed as she realized just what they had been doing, and shook her head. She needed to keep herself in check.

"You're a member of the Cullen Five! Head surfer with the highest scoring record of all your family!" He clapped his hands and jumped up and down excitedly, "I can't believe I didn't recognize you when I first saw you! Took me long enough to recognize you, but I did it!"

"That you did." Bella snorted, annoyed with herself, but taking it out on the kid.

"Bella." Alice gave her a disproving look before turning back to the boy, "All the things you've said are correct. Are you a fan?"

"More of a sort of understudy...bench-warmer, whatever you call us, for the La Push group." He sighed, "They already have too many members, and don't want to take anyone else out, but they don't want me to go off and find another team to surf for."

"Do you ever get to surf in the competitions?" Alice frowned, gold eyes confused. Why keep a kid in their troupe if they won't let him surf?

"No, I never get to. I always want to, though." He seemed to space out. "It's always been a dream of mine to surf the waves with you guys. Your brother Emmett is like...my role model."

"I'm sure he'd be happy to hear something like that." Alice smiled softly, "Tell you what, you tell the La Push surfers that for this competition, you're going to be surfing with my troupe. Emmett will teach you everything he knows simply because you admire him. You'll be one of the best surfers around, I promise."

"Really? Oh, that's so cool!" Alice crowed at his excitement and handed him a white card with a big blue wave on it. It was similar to the one she'd given Bella earlier in the day. He took it into his hands and looked close to worshiping it.

"Be sure to call us and we can all hit the beach tomorrow." She winked at him, before turning her attention back to the brunette that sat next to her. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Ah...working, I think." Bella just chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Have fun, yeah?"

"Y-yeah..." Alice bit her lip and eyed the ice cream that was still in her hands. She hadn't given it to Bella yet. "Do you want this back?"

"That would be nice, yeah." She laughed a little louder, thanking her for giving her her ice cream privileges back. "Here."

"Thank you." Alice giggled, scooping some slightly melted Rocky Road onto her spoon, before shoving the spoon into her mouth. Secretly, she shivered. For some reason, the ice cream tasted even better than before. Maybe it was because a few minutes ago, Bella had laid her tongue against it... She whimpered again at the thought, and the both of them ate in silence.

Needless to say, Bella was having a similar inner dialogue to the one Alice was having.

When the ice cream was all gone, and slight plans made to meet at the beach tomorrow, Seth let the two girls leave without a fuss. They climbed into Alice's car and when she turned the purring beast on, it was then that Alice realized something.

"Where do you live, because I have no idea."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Alice<strong>

"Bout time you got here, girl!" Jessica hugged her with one arm, lifting a cup in the air and swaying slightly. "The party for the lonely-hearts club can start now."

"What party? A-Are you high?" the dirty blond girl laughed aloud, throwing the cup in her hand at a random surfer boy who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."Did Paul break up with you or something?"

"Nope. Just buzzed. And yes, that asshole is no more." Jessica's eyes snapped to attention when she saw a familiar figure walk into the deli. She narrowed, and scowled. She wasn't so buzzed that she would even delude herself into believing that she and that woman could ever get along. "Heads up."

"Wha?" Bella turned around, only to get a slap to the face. It was hard enough to send her head snapping to the side, her hair following. She held her hand to her wound and tried her best to not cry as she looked at the person who had hit her.

"So now you're cheating on me? Is that it?" Louis screamed at her, making everyone in the deli stop speaking. Hell, nobody even _moved._

"What are you talking about? I never cheat." Bella felt the skin of her cheek tingle painfully, and knew there would be a bruise on her face come the end of this hour.

"You didn't go home when you said you would, and I know that the Cullens didn't go into the movie either! I called your house line, and your dad said you weren't home yet!" Her dark brown eyes teared up, and Bella blanched. "Where the fuck were you?"

"What is this? Jerry Springer?" A familiar voice poked fun from the door, making Bella's heart flutter happily. Alice!

"Who the fuck asked you?" Louis spun around and clenched her hands into fists, "What are you trying to pull here, _Cullen?_"

"I'm not pulling anything. I just came to say hi to Bella before I-" Alice's amber eyes were in view now, and they were wide, probably taking in her swollen cheek. "You hit her?"

"What's it to you? Don't got enough love with all your little rabid fans? You had to come to town and steal my girl, right?" Louis hissed, glaring back at Bella, who flinched.

"For your information, my fans aren't rabid. They've assured me. Secondly, you have no right to hit Bella! You aren't her owner! And if it never made sense to you, a girl who was happy and didn't want to get swept off her feet, wouldn't be." Alice's eyes flashed dangerously, "And if you hit her again, I promise you will regret it."

"Who are you to threaten me?" Louis growled, stepping closer to the pixie. It was only right that Bella step between the two feuding girls and make some type of peace, no matter how temporary it may be. It was then that Bella noticed what Alice was wearing. Some tan boarding short shorts and a see through tank top with a bright green bikini top underneath it.

"Guys, please stop." Louis looked pleased, thinking that Bella was coming to her aid or defense. Quite the opposite. She didn't want Alice sticking her hands into anything Louis had to dish out. Alice, for the most part, looked hurt. "Louis, you know my boss is this close to getting a restraining order on you for this place. Don't push him anymore."

The girl nodded, trying to envelope the tall girl into a hug, but failing when Alice shoved herself between the two girls, making her snarl at the small pixie.

"I'll talk to you later, Louis. Just go." Bella pleaded with her eyes. She really didn't want Alice caught in Louis' psychotic game. Alice looked into dark brown eyes with a fury and hate never before born from the pixie.

"Do you _promise_? Belly-button?" Bella tightened her jaw at the name. Shit, that's so stupid. She took a deep breath and nodded, before nearly shoving her out with her hand. "Great. See you tonight, baby."

"Yeah." Alice spun around after catching the smug smile on the other girl's face. Amber eyes narrowed before she reached up and softly touched the raising bruise on the taller girl's cheek. When Bella flinched at the tingles of pain, Alice moved her hand away.

"Why...? I don't understand." Tears mingled on the edges of Alice's eyes, and the brunette could see them. She didn't think seeing someone cry could ever make her feel like real shit, but Alice had proved her wrong. Big time. "Please help me understand."

"It's complicated right now, Alice." She sighed, placing a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder, "But I promise, things will get better. For now...just give it time."

"What if I don't have time? What if I don't want to wait?" Her lower lip trembled as she looked out the glass window of the deli, seeing her sister standing there with a worried expression. She'd probably seen everything. "She's hurting you, and all you can say is that it'll get better?"

"That's all I could hope for, to be honest." Jessica whistled at Bella, alerting her, and she quickly hugged the small girl and smiled before running behind the counter. "Alice, I-"

"Bella! Jessica!" A booming voice filled the air, and they both cringed. They glanced at the office door where their boss slowly slouched in, drink in hand. "You ladies are...doing so...great."

"Oh god, he's drunk." Bella rubbed her forehead nervously. It was bad enough that Jessica was freaking buzzed, but this fool is drunk, too? Lord help her now.

"Are you flirting with pretty girls on the job, Swany?" He glared at her, grinning goofily, "Atta girl! Land them ladies!" He hiccuped, making Bella smack her forehead in embarrassment. She glanced up at Alice, who looked close to laughing and crying.

Instead of speaking to Alice again, she pulled her cell phone out and flashed it to her, mouthing the word, 'text' and smiling sadly.

Alice nodded, and pulled her own phone out, waiting.

As the deli owner and Bella's boss droned on drunkenly, Bella typed out a text as accurately as possible while trying to look like she was listening to his tirade.

**'Please don't cry. I know its hard to understand what's going on right now, but I promise I will tell you everything when I get a chance again. -Bella.'**

Alice read the message and sighed aloud before texting something back.

**'When will you get another chance? -Ali-Cat.'**

Bella snickered at the 'Ali-Cat' part and looked up at her friend, mouthing 'Ali-Cat' with a brow raised. Alice covered her mouth while shaking with giggles, shrugging.

**'Tonight. I'll meet with you tonight. -Bella.'**

Alice looked at her friend again, smirking. Bella felt her heart flutter at the look, and glanced down when her phone shook in her hand.

** 'What about your girlfriend? You promised to see her. -Ali-Cat.'**

Bella scoffed. She promised no such thing! She avoids the girl as much as possible! As if she'd go see her when she could see someone clearly more interesting and less scary.

** 'No, I didn't. I promised to talk to her. Never said I would see her. -Bella.'**

Alice frowned and raised a brow at her friend. She had said that...but...?

** 'She assumed you were going to see her, though. What about that? -Ali-Cat.'**

The brunette giggled, glancing at her boss, who was still raving on drunkenly about how the deli was losing money. Of course it was, you dumb monkey. You're giving food away for free. You aren't turning a profit, or even making the money you need to pay for the things you owe.

** 'I do what I want, and if I want to see you tonight, I will. -Bella.'**

Bella grinned hugely, looking at Jessica, who was paling the longer the boss stood there in front of her, practically spitting on her face. Gross. Bella subtly handed Jess a napkin, which she used to wipe the alcohol infused spittle from her face and hair.

** 'Aren't you going to ask me first? -Ali-Cat.'**

Bella looked at her and shook her head, biting her lower lip and blushing. Alice adopted the same expression, and glanced over at her sister, who was still standing there, now with an annoyed expression. Shit.

** 'Nope. You've got no choice now. :) -Bella.'**

** 'Aren't you sweet. Well, I have to go meet up with Seth now. I'll text you in a few hours to dish out details about our meeting tonight. ;) -Ali-Cat.'**

** 'Perfect. -Bella.' **The girls smiled at each other before Alice turned and left the deli without a fight, joining her sister on the sidewalk.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"What the hell do you mean, 'I'm not coming over tonight'? Bella, you promised!" Louis cried on the phone, her crocodile tears probably burning her skin. "Don't you care about me anymore? Or is your head full of _Cullen _nowadays?"

"You know, maybe I just want a break from you? Ever think of that?" Bella sighed, and cradled her phone between her jaw and her shoulder, balancing it as she fed Holmes before leaving to meet up with Alice. "Because lets face it, you're overbearing."

"Whatever. You know what? Do what you want. I don't care anymore! But know this, Bella! You'll regret it, I promise." Louis said darkly before Bella heard the dial tone again. She actually hung up on her? That was truly amazing.

"She hung up on me, bud. Guess I don't have to worry about her for a while, huh?" She smiled at her best friend before glancing at her wrist watch. "Time for your ten o'clock pill, boy."

His tail wagged crazily as she opened one of the large pill bottles and dropped one onto her palm before closing it tightly and putting it back in the cabinet. She couldn't have them laying out where he could get them, as he'd probably open the bottles and eat them all, resulting in a mega doggy overdose, and probably death.

She tossed him the pill, and he swallowed it instantly, waiting to see if she would give him another, staring right at her intently.

"That's all." She chortled when he didn't look away. "You damn druggie."

He sneezed, and turned around and eating what was in his bowl. His tail thumped against her knee, making her laugh. She turned and left her room after shutting the door.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, a hard series of knocks came from the door, and Bella immediately went into Police Chief's daughter mode, reaching into the hall closet for a baseball bat. Upstairs, Holmes was barking like Hell was at the door.

She went up to the door and yelled over Holmes' barking.

"Who is it?" She hoped she didn't sound scared, though she really was.

"Bella! It's Jake!" She sighed aloud, yanking the locks open and pulling the door open. Jacob stood under the porch light, slightly yellow because of the bulb. "Think you've got time to talk?"

"You know you'll get into trouble if Charlie comes home and you're here talking to me." Bella crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the tan boy.

"I know, I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask you some questions." He looked down at his shoes and frowned deeply. "Can I at least ask?"

"Make it quick. I've got some place to be." She looked at her watch again, and noticed Jacob flinch. "What?"

"Are you meeting up with that freaky girl I've seen you with?" His eyes searched hers, and he relaxed when Bella shook her head. "Good, she gives me the creeps."

"Me too." Bella snorted, "I'm actually hanging out with a friend tonight."

"Oh? Anyone I know?" He seemed pleased that she was hanging out with people again. Since their whole...surfing thing, she hadn't been keen on hanging out with anyone, really.

"Alice Cullen." Bella sighed dreamily, and not on purpose.

"_Alice Cullen of the Cullen FIVE?_" Jacob spat, his face full of rage. "Why the hell are you hanging out with them?"

"She's a friend of mine, what's the problem?" Bella crossed her arms, clearly not liking the lines Jacob was currently crossing. She still hadn't completely forgiven him for the ocean incident.

"They're a rival surfing team, Bella. Show a little team spirit, please!" He growled at her, almost towering over her, making a shadow form over her. "I thought you would support me at the competition. I was hoping you would."  
>"I'm not going to the competition, so no worries. I won't be supporting anyone over the other." She shoved against his chest, making him fall back on the stairs, glaring at her. "And I didn't do anything for the sake of your surfing. I did it because they seem like genuinely nice people, not like you and your team. The only person in your whole team I actually like is Seth."<p>

"Is there something going on?" Bella's head snapped to where Alice was now suddenly standing, a worried expression on her face. "Who is this, Bella?"

"Name's Jacob Black. La Push team." He growled at her, and Alice just laughed as if he were an idiot, and looked at Bella. "What's so funny?"

"You're taking things way too seriously. The competition isn't all that important. My family and I, we do it for fun. I don't know what kind of claims you guys have made, I just hope you didn't set the stakes too high." Her golden eyes locked on Bella, "Are you ready to go?"

"Am I ever." She shoved past Jacob and walked with Alice to the car, climbing in without a backward glace at her old russet skinned friend. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

"Anytime. I love what you're wearing." Alice winked before throwing the car in reverse, taking them straight to the high way. "So, where to?"

"Let's go to Crystal Lake." Bella gave her specific directions, and when they showed up, Bella climbed out of the car and moved to the shore, smiling when the air drifted through her hair, blowing it gently. Alice sidled up to her and grinned up at her.

"You like it here?" Alice looked at the calm, mirror like surface of the lake while adjusting her bright yellow hooded, sleeveless jacket.

"Yeah, I do." She turned to the pixie, "Louis brought me here once, thinking it was a secret. She took me the long way around, and we were half drowned when she finally managed to get me home."

Alice frowned when she mentioned the other girl, and looked at the glassy surface again. She twiddled her thumbs together without really thinking about it, and sighed.

"Do you love her?" Bella's head snapped in Alice's direction so hard, she almost got whiplash, her neck screaming at her. "I mean, I really don't understand how you could stay with a girl as unbalanced and mean as her."

"I don't love her. I don't even like her." Alice's golden eyes softened, taking in the taller girl's expression. She didn't look upset or anything. How could she confess to staying with someone she didn't like with a straight face? "I'm afraid to leave her."

"Can I ask why?" Bella motioned to a wooden bench that stood alone near the trees and led her to it, sitting down slowly.

"Ever since our first date...I always get the impression that she's going to either hurt me, someone else, or herself if I was to leave her." Bella's eyes grew distant, "I've heard stories of the things she's done in the past...and I've never heard them from her. Always from other people."

"And you believe other people? Their gossip?" Alice cocked her head slightly, frowning. "People could always lie."

"Not her ex-girlfriends. Or their family members and friends." Bella huffed, thinking of what Jessica had told her once, "'She takes girls hearts and puts them in jars, so she could own them forever.'"

"Someone said that to you?" Alice giggled, "that's horrible."

"I know it." Bella leaned back and looked over at the smaller girl, "That's the only reason I'm still with her, though, as the days go by, I find a better reason to leave her."

Alice blushed and coughed into her hand to keep from making odd noises.

"Say, you have a dog, right?" Bella grinned, nodding her head. "Why haven't you mentioned him before?"

"I have." Bella nodded once, before looking at Alice again. "He's the one with the Von Willebrand Disease."

"Your dog has Von Willebrand?" Alice looked stumped, "I didn't even know dogs could get that."

"Yeah." The brunette sighed, "His name is Holmes."

"As in Sherlock?" The pixie bounced in her seat excitedly, "What kind of dog his he?"

"He's a black and white Siberian Husky." Alice's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You'll never believe what happened today when I was at the beach, then." The girls looked at each other, Bella wanting Alice to continue telling her the story. "Ah, I was actually just getting ready to paddle out to ride some waves, when I see this guy practically dragging this little, really fuzzy gray puppy along the beach. She struggled against his leash, and he actually kicked her."

"Kicked her?" Bella was shocked, and even angry. How could a grown guy kick an innocent little puppy? "What happened next?"

"Well, I stood my board in the sand and went over to him, picking the puppy off the floor where she was lying. It was barely moving, is how hard he kicked her." She saw some light leave Alice's eyes, "I bitched him out, of course, and Emmett was close to clocking the guy into next month, but Rosalie is against unnecessary violence if she isn't the one handing it out."

"So what happened to the puppy?" Alice smiled at Bella before pulling her phone out and showing her a picture of the puppy that was her screen saver.

"I bought her off of him. He tried to sell her to me for five hundred dollars, but when Emmett threatened him, he dropped it to a hundred dollars." She giggled, "She's at the vet right now, getting checked out."

"Oh? Did you take her to Dr. Hart? She's the only vet around town." Alice nodded, and put her phone back into her pocket.

"She's a really nice lady, too." Bella stretched her arms before letting a small piece of information about Dr. Hart.

"She's dating my dad." Both girls burst out into laughter before quieting down. The silence that surrounded them was peaceful, until Alice spoke again.

"So you aren't going to go watch the competition?" Alice pouted, and Bella sighed. Of course this would come up. "Why won't you watch it?"

"Because...I just can't." The brunette closed her eyes and hoped the girl would drop it, but she didn't. She probably really wanted Bella to watch her surf.

"Bella, please? I mean, you don't have to cheer for me or my family or anything, and I think it would mean a lot to Jacob Black if you went to see. It would even make Seth's day, considering his team kicked him out for surfing with us earlier." The pixie boldly turned her back to Bella and laid back on the bench, laying her head on Bella's lap. The brunette didn't hesitate to run her fingers through the soft, short hair.

"Poor Seth." Bella sighed aloud before looking down at the begging Alice. She had the cutest puppy dog expression on her face, and it would have been hard for Bella to say no to that. "Fine. I'll think about it."

"What's there to think about? It's not like you have to get into the water or anything." Alice grinned, "Unless you want to."

"No, most definitely not." Bella frowned, almost wanting to back out and tell her she changed her mind. That probably wouldn't fly with the shorter girl, though.

"So tell me..." Alice gazed up into the nights sky, looking at the stars, "What do you want in life?"

"Honestly?" Bella looked up at the stars and then looked down at Alice, who was looking right into her chocolate eyes. "I want to find the one for me. I want to get married someday, have a kid or two. Live in a nice house and teach kids their numbers and letters and to not pick their noses in public, though I went for accounting. I want to get old with the person I married, get gray hair, and probably die in my sleep when I turn a hundred. What about you?"

"I want much of the same of what you want. The only difference would be that I want to be a doctor or surgeon. Follow in my father's footsteps, continue the Cullen legacy." She sighed in adoration, "I don't want to surf all of my life. I just want to live while I can before reality comes knocking on my door."

"That's understandable." Bella felt butterflies in her stomach and when Alice sat up, instead of thinking about it, she threw her arms around the smaller girl and hugged her tightly, the pixie's back to her chest. "I'll definitely come watch you surf."

"Thank you." Alice touched the hands that joined near her collarbone and smiled softly to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>We all hate Louis with a fiery passion. That aside, hope that you liked a better look into Alice and Bella, because I sure did! Thanks for the reviews, to the reviewers who actually review. <strong>

**Namaste!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Namaste! **

**Welcome back! Glad for all the reviewers, guys, and yes, you are all real reviewers. ;) Anywho, I know that Louis bothers the crap out of everyone, but you know that there are girls out there who are with girls like her who can't get away. I had a friend who was stuck with a psycho for four years, and believe me, she was suffering, but didn't have it in her to break it off. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella (Tuesday Morning)<strong>

"Bella!" Louis yelled as she caught the brunette in the pet store, "Where the hell have you been? It's been a whole week since I've seen you, much less spoken to you. What, you aren't talking to me, or what?"

"That's the idea." Bella pushed her cart toward the cash register and smiled at her purchases. "Why, are you finally catching on?"

"Very funny, Swan." The black-haired girl scratched her scalp, "Come on, what's really happening between us? I miss you so much."

"That wasn't what you said in the voice-mail you left me this morning." Bella looked at the new girl at the register and smiled at her, making Louis glare at the new girl, who just ignored her. "If I remember correctly, you said you didn't honestly care about me."

"You know I lie when I get upset, babe." Louis touched Bella's bare arm, and Bella hardly felt it. Strange, when Alice touched her, electric currents ran through her body... "I'm really sorry."

"You apologize a lot." Bella smiled at her and then frowned, "We need to talk. It's been a week since that day at the deli, and I really..."

"Lets not do this here, please." Louis whispered harshly before she glanced at the items that the newbie was scanning. "Since when do you have a small female dog?"

"I don't. Alice just doesn't have time to come and buy things for her puppy, so I volunteered to come pick up a few things for her." Louis didn't explode or anything when she said it, so Bella glanced over at said girl and noticed that her hand was bleeding. "Louis, what happened?"

"You're still..._seeing that girl_?" She was trying her best to not scream bloody murder at Bella, apparently, so she settled for seething through her teeth. "You know how I feel about her."

"And you know how I feel about her." Bella snapped before turning to the cashier, who had given her a total. She handed her a couple of bills and thanked her before grabbing the bags and looking over at Eric, who paled at the sight of Louis' blood. "Thanks for _almost _keeping your cool."

"Bella, you...!" Louis was going to shout at her, but the new cashier pretty much shut her up instantly with a small outburst.

"Dude, seriously, I've worked here for less than a day, and I can already tell that you need to chill the fuck out. You are so fucking annoying. Get the fuck away from the front of the store, and back to your post." The redhead glared at Louis, who almost whimpered and scurried back to her post, but not before going to the office and treating the tears in her skin.

"Sorry about her." Bella blushed when the cashier winked at her.

"Not a problem. Bitches like her need to be owned." She grinned, and went back to what she'd been doing before Bella had come up to the register, doing something on the system about lower prices on dog treats.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (Tuesday Night – Bella's House)<strong>

"So you're going to the competition, right?" Alice poked Bella's side as she was reading one of her favorite novels on the sofa of her living room. "Or were you just saying that to get me off your back."

"You sort of are like a monkey on my back, now that you mention it..." Bella chuckled, "Yes, I am going to the competition."

"Are you going to be watching me?" Golden eyes locked with amused chocolates, and narrowed when the girl snorted. "Come on, Bells, are you going to watch me?"

"I'm going to be watching everyone." She flipped a page in her book and pretended to keep reading, though she had almost her full attention on the littlest Cullen.

"So you aren't going to be watching specifically for me?" A playful pout worked its way onto Alice's face, and before Bella knew it, she had a full on puppy dog face to deal with. "What if something happens to me?"

"Then I'll be the first person to notice it when it happens." Alice's eyes sparkled, "Don't worry, I've got great eyesight."

"That means that you'll be watching me!" The pixie stood up and did a small victory dance, shaking her hips to a song that was in her head. "Oh yeah!"

"Alice, come sit back down. If you don't, no food for you." Alice gasped as if no food was the worst thing imaginable, and threw herself back down next to her...best friend.

"Well, since you're going to be watching me...you'd probably be cheering for me...right?" The younger girl grinned widely, "Can I get you something to wear while you cheer for me?"

"I probably wouldn't wear it." The brunette glanced at the black-haired girl for a second before thinking about something. "You haven't been in my room, have you?"

"Nope. Never had the pleasure." Bella blushed, and Alice followed once she realized what she'd just said. "I-I mean..."

"Let's go up." Bella took her by the hand and led her one step at a time until they reached the landing. They walked down the little hallway until they reached the white, clean door. "Be aware that Holmes might be asleep, his afternoon drugs are a little hard on him."

She pushed the door open and Alice squealed as quietly as possible. She moved quietly into the room and threw herself onto the bed. When she looked up at the wall, she blushed darkly. Was that a...?

"I see you noticed it." Bella sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, "I should have taken that down before I offered to bring you up here."

"Where did you get that?" Alice sat up and then stood up on the bed, reaching up to touch the poster, "It's huge."

"A surfer store next to the pet store a friend of mine works at. Angela, another friend who works at the surf store, told me about you and your family, and well, I saw one of the posters they had, and asked for one like it." She chuckled, "This was the last one of you they had."

"What was I wearing in the other one?" Alice tipped her head to the side, hearing a loud snore coming from the other side of the room. She turned and looked at the large dog that was asleep on his back, his legs strewn about lazily, tongue pressed out of his mouth. "Is that Holmes?"

"Sure is." She smiled fondly at the dog, happy that he was asleep, and not suffering. "In the other poster, you were wearing a black and yellow skin suit. Mouth hanging open and everything."

"Are you serious?" She looked horrified. "My mouth looks horrible in live shot pictures!"

"Calm down. You look as good in that one as you do in this one. My friend Eric tried to steal this poster from me numerous times before. Apparently, they don't make these posters of you anymore. Limited quantity or something like that." Bella was back to her book, too distracted to notice the dark blush that covered little Alice's face.

"You think I look good here?" Alice nearly whispered it, and Bella gazed up at her, no doubt in her eyes or expression. No lies.

"I think you do. You are beautiful, and the boys and girls around town will agree with me. Even Victoria Howard." The taller girl beamed, "I hope someday you'll believe me."

"I think I do, already." She grinned, "Say, I've got a question."

"What is it?" Bella pursed her lips.

"Say you were to jump off a building..."

"Uh, why would I want to do that?" The brunette wrinkled her nose, "I'm not big on...suicide or anything like that."

"Pretend that...I don't know, you found out you were adopted or something."

"But I know I'm not. My mother loves flashing a scar they accidentally gave her with a scalpel as they were pulling me out at me."

"I said pretend!" Alice giggled.

"Okay, fine. I'm gonna jump off a building."

"Now, when you jump, would you want to fall face first, and face the end? Or would you fall backward and enjoy the ride, letting the end come in a surprise?"

"If I really think about it, I think I would want to...fall face first, and face the end. Why?"

"You know, I've asked people that before, and they always say...they'd fall backward. You're the first person to answer that way."

"What about you?"

"I'd go the same way you would."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (SandShack Deli – Wednesday Morning)<strong>

"Hey Alice." Jessica greeted the short pixie as she walked into the deli once again, looking for Bella. It was such a common occurrence now that nobody really jumped up in excitement, except for Alice and Bella. "What brings you to SandShack?"

"The best darn smoothie maker in the world, is what." Alice simpered as she spotted Bella coming out of the office with a hangdog expression on her face. "What happened to her?"

"Nothing serious. The boss talks with her once in a while to ask about Holmes. She really loves that dog." Jessica sighed, "I just hope that he doesn't die."

"I hope so, too." Alice forced a smile on her face when Bella noticed her, and waved happily, "Hey, you."

"Oh, my dad wanted to know if you wanted to come eat dinner with us tonight. Since your there almost every night as it is." Bella rolled her eyes, "What do you say?"

"Sure thing. I just have to let my family know, so they won't cook food for me." She smiled, before texting her sister and mother that she wouldn't be home in time for dinner. "So what's for dinner?"

"Good question." Bella smirked before heading into the cooking part of the kitchen, disappearing for a while.

"Tell her I'll be back for her at the end of her shift." Alice saluted Jessica, who did it right back, and walked out of the deli, her mind filled to the brink. Just what was going on between Bella and herself? She couldn't honestly figure it out.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (Wednesday Night – Bella's House)<strong>

"Hello, there." Charlie sat up in shock, quickly running his hands down his button up, making chip crumbs fall off and onto the floor. He sighed, and stood up quickly, reaching a hand out to shake it with the small pixie-like friend of his daughter's, "The name's Charlie."

"I'm Alice." She giggled, blushing slightly, "It's nice to meet you, Charlie."

"Dinner's ready, so if you guys will come into the kitchen, we can chow down." Bella waved a spatula in the air, making Charlie chuckle slightly, Alice covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed, her eyes closed. "Hurry, or I'll eat it all!"

"I'd do it, she could be serious when she wants to be." Charlie motioned for the small girl to go into said kitchen, pulling out a chair for her. The doorbell rang, and the man straightened up, his brow furrowing, before he seemed to remember something, "Ah, that must be Leslie. I completely forgot she was coming over tonight."

"It's no problem, I made enough food to feed a family of six." Bella winked, before shooing him off to invite his girlfriend inside. "I hope you like Mexican food, because that's what I have."

"Love Mexican food!" She grinned widely, hopping slightly in her chair, "What type of Mexican food did you make?"

"I made chicken, spanish rice, and beans." She pulled a package of round white flour tortillas and grinned, "And tortillas."

"Amazing!" Alice was in heaven at this point. "You know, I think the best Mexican food I've ever eaten had to be when we had a competition in Cancun. It's beautiful there."

"So I've heard." Bella just smiled, a twinge of envy in her heart. She'd never been out of the continental U.S., but her mother had. Hell, her mother had been to many places, all without her...back when she was still with Phil. That was all in the past now, though.

"You've never been there?" Alice leaned against the table, supporting her chin with her arm, "The water is so blue there. Almost as blue as Rosalie's eyes."

"Then it must be very beautiful." Bella flipped the tortilla that had been cooking over the open flame of the stove and scratched her arm for something to do. "I've never gone, my mom has, though. She showed me pictures, and even gave me a small bottle of the sand from there."

"Why didn't she take you?" Alice pouted, "You know what, it doesn't matter why she didn't take you. I will take you sometime."

"Really, Alice?" Bella just laughed at the ridiculousness of the pixie's words. Going on a trip like that cost a lot of money, much more money than she was earning at her crappy job, and she'd need a passport, which she did not have. "Let's aim for something more realistic."

"Why is Cancun not realistic?" amber eyes were sad, "You don't want to go?"

"It would be nice." The brunette turned to look at her friend, "But I couldn't afford that type of trip. Let's drop it."

"But, I want to take you to see places like that, Bella." Alice began kicking her legs underneath the table, the plastic of the chair biting into the back of her toned legs. "I will take you, anyway."

"Hey there, Bella." Leslie walked into the kitchen, followed by Charlie, who was sweating up a storm. "Oh, hello there, Alice."

"Dr. Hart." Alice giggled, nodding to the woman, who just waved her off and smiled kindly.

"Please call me Leslie." the woman sat down, with Charlie's gentlemanly assistance, and put her purse underneath her chair, "Would you like to hear any news on Violet?"

"That would be great." Alice smiled apologetically. "Though, if you hate bringing work home, I could wait until tomorrow."

"No, that's perfectly fine." The doctor looked over at Bella, who had a thoughtful look on her face. "Bella, something smells like its burning."

"Oh, shoot." She turned around and picked up the tortilla, sighing when she saw it was burned along the bottom. "I hate burned tortillas." She tossed it into the trash can and started another one.

"Well, Violet checked out just fine. Nothing damaged internally or externally. She's perfectly healthy. She may be a little shy at first, but that's because of her fear of people. She'll get over that with time and T.L.C."

"That's great to hear. My sister can't wait to hold her again." Alice smiled softly, "My brothers and sisters got attached to her after meeting her when I rescued her at the beach."

"I'm glad you took her away from that boy." Leslie glanced at Bella again, who was concentrating again. "Is something on your mind, Bella? You seem awfully distracted."

"The puppy's name is Violet?" She looked at Alice and bit her lip. "Why did you name her that? Any specific reason in particular?"

"I took the N out of the word Violent." She tilted her head a little and grinned, "Why, do you see another connection to the name?"

"Yeah, I do." Chocolates locked with caramels. "Violet Hunter. One of Sherlock Holmes leading ladies."

"Then, you've caught on." She giggled, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't want to call her Irene. I have a cousin named Irina, that would have been too close. That, and I didn't want my brothers to call her 'the woman'."

"Makes sense." Bella blinked a few times before turning around and serving the food onto four plates, her plate having the least amount of food. Alice's eyes narrowed at this. She'd seen this girl pack away food before. What was going on with her?

**After Dinner...**

"Thanks for coming to dinner tonight. It was really nice of you to meet my father and his girlfriend." Bella spoke softly as she led Alice to the front door of her house, "Oh, wait. I'm forgetting something."

"What?" Alice's expression was a mix of excitement and hope.

"I saw something in one of the La Push shops a while back, and I just had to buy it. I couldn't understand why I needed it, or why I wanted it, because even though it was pretty, I don't wear things like this...so I held onto it." Bella produced a baby blue bracelet with shining glass baby blue, see through beads and matching sky blue thread that wove in between all of the beads. "Think of it as a good luck charm. It kept me safe through a lot of things, and I'm hoping that it'll do the same for you."

Alice's jaw dropped. Bella was giving her this pretty bracelet?

"Ah, Bella, I don't know what to say, other than thank you." She reached out, but Bella pulled her hands back, "Oh?"

"I have to put it on you." She grinned, "It's a special kind of bracelet."

"How special?" Alice raised a brow. Bella was being a little cryptic right now.

"So special, you wouldn't be able to put it on yourself." She seemed to think something over, "Are you left handed, or right handed?"

"Right handed. Why does that matter?" the pixie giggled, before Bella grasped her left hand and pulled it up, slipping the blue bracelet over her hand and laying it against her wrist, before pulling the two threads apart, making it tighter, but not enough to make the girl uncomfortable.

"If I put it on the hand you wrote with, it would get in the way. That's all." She laughed a little at Alice's expression, and just let her fingers caress the bracelet, barely touching the shorter girl's soft skin. "You aren't allowed to take this bracelet off until after the competition, when you leave town. Not even when you take a shower, it's okay if it gets wet."

"I doubt I'd take it off even then." Alice leaned up and kissed Bella's cheek before wrapping her in a tight hug, "Thank you, Bella."

"No problem, Alice." She felt her arms come up and return the hug before blushing darkly when the tingles seemed to invade every space of her body. She coughed and let go, before brushing her own hair back, "Be safe on your way home, yeah?"

"Most definitely." She winked, "See you around, Bella."

"See you around."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (Thursday Morning – Beach side)<strong>

"Can I go now?" Alice pleaded as she was crawling after her sister on the sand, who was quite intently walking away from her. "Please?"

"No. The competition is next week. You need to seriously get your head in the game, Alice." Rosalie spun around and simpered at her, "Besides, I've yet to see you seriously ride a wave since we left Anguilla."

"I surfed yesterday!" Alice pouted, her arms down at her sides as she had been called out. "I was out here with you guys!"

"You didn't surf yesterday. You didn't even get waist high in the water." The blond crossed her arms, looking down at her sister, whose eyes got bigger steadily. She was working up her puppy pout. She knew this move well. "You didn't want to get soaked because, and I quote, 'I'm going to see Bella, and I need to look my best!'"

"That's a wonderful impersonation of me." Alice bit her lip, "I suppose I should get some practice in..."

"That's the spirit! Now get your board and get your ass out there. The tide's about to come in soon." The two girls parted ways, and Alice sighed as she lifted up the thin shirt she wore up and off of her body, tossing it to where her backpack was. She dropped her shorts and heard a wolf whistle, spinning around to glare at whoever it was.

It was one of the La Push boys. Seth had named a few of them, and since he seemed rather big, almost Emmett sized, he might be Paul.

"Hey, Shorty." The boy grinned at her, and she kept her frown in place. What did this guy want? Couldn't he see she was busy?

"Can I help you?" She glanced back at her sister and brothers, who were all staring at her and waiting for her to join up with them. "I'm a little busy."

"Oh, come on. Spare me a few measly minutes." He crossed his meaty arms over his chest, "I heard you were hanging out with Jacob's girl."

"Who is Jacob's girl?" She held back her laughter when he tried to think of the girl's name. He scratched the top of his head, before snapping his fingers.

"Bella Swan." Alice's eyes narrowed as he continued, not bothering to really look at her. "Tallish, brunette? Bad girlfriend attitude. Ya know?"

"No, I don't know. I know a Bella Swan, but she's a sweet girl. And last I checked, she isn't his girl. She isn't anybody's girl." She pointed her tiny hand at Paul and scowled at him, "You best tell Jacob to remember that."

"No, Cullen. You best remember that you and your family are just _visitors_. You're leaving as soon as this competition is done. The tour continues, and you'll have to leave her behind. She knows this, and you know this. Don't get mixed up just to hurt the girl's feelings in the end." His dark eyes were firm, but understanding.

Alice didn't have a reply for that, and watched as the giant boy turned around and walked away from her. Her eyes widened in realization. Maybe that was why Bella wouldn't leave Louis for her. Alice and her family...would leave when this was over. When the trophies were handed out, and the next site announced, she would be leaving.

"Oh god..." Alice's bottom lip trembled as she thought of leaving Bella behind. She couldn't do that, could she? How could she? What about Bella? What happens to her then?

The pixie blinked as a sparkling was flashing in her eye, and glanced down as the sun caught the bright blue beads around her wrist.

"Ali?" Jasper ran to her side, dropping to his knees next to his sister, hugging her to him tightly, "Ali, what's wrong?"

"Jasper, have you ever considered being with someone you've met at one of the competition sites?" Alice's golden eyes looked up into Jasper's crystal blue ones. "Have you ever met anyone that just...gets you? Laughs at your jokes, and loves to hang out with you?"

"I did once." Jasper smiled a little before kissing the top of her head, "But, I knew it wouldn't be fair to her if I had started something with her, just to leave when things were getting good."

"What if I can't leave her?" She whispered softly, making Jasper have to strain his ears to hear her over the winds of the ocean, "Already...?"

"Can I offer you some advice?" She looked back up at him and licked her lips in anticipation. What was he going to say to her? To follow her heart? Or to just ignore it, because in the end, it was better to save herself the pain than to experience the blissful throes of love? "I'm not blind, Ali. As much as you guys like to joke about it, I'm actually quite...perceptive. Observational. I've seen the two of you together, and I must say, you seem to click."

"I don't think there's ever been anyone to catch your attention quite like she has before, and frankly, that scares us all past our wits." Jasper blushed a little, "I know you're old enough now to make your own decisions, and hell, we'd all support any decisions you'd make, but make sure you've thought everything through. I'd hate to see this all come to a bad end."

"I would hate it, too." Alice leaned up and kissed his cheek sweetly, "Thanks for giving me some perspective, Jazz."

"No problem, darlin'." He chuckled, standing while helping her stand. "Are you ready to ride the waves, now?"

"Nothing could stop me, now." She grabbed her bright yellow board and ran to the water, yelping as the ice cold water splashed against her slightly heated skin, "Well, that might stop me."

"It gets better the longer you're in it!" Edward grinned from where he was floating on his sea green board, an excited look in his eyes. "You in for a mini competition of our own?"

"What do you get if you win?" Alice usually would go with anything they bet, but a feeling twisted in her stomach at the look on Edward's and Emmett's faces when she'd asked.

"If we win...there will be a little friendly competition between you and me." Edward touched his hair and frowned. Aww, his sex hair was wet? That was just too bad. "The competition will be to see who gets a kiss first from Bella."

Wait. What?

"What?" Alice's mind was not functioning enough to think what he'd just said through, and she was having trouble processing. "Say that again?"

"If I win, we're going to have a contest to see who will get a kiss from Bella first." Edward's green eyes sparkled. "What do you say?"

"Bella, as in Bella Swan?" Her eyes narrowed, "_My Bella?"_

"Told you she'd get pissed! You owe me!" Emmett nudged Edward in the ribs, who just laughed and pushed away from him, paddling a little farther out.

"Were you serious?" Running a hand through her black hair, she whined, "I don't want to use her that way. When I kiss her, I want to kiss her because I want to, not because my douche bag of a brother is forcing me to do it in order to win a contest. That isn't fair."

"Of course we weren't serious. I know she doesn't like me, Ali." Edward scoffed, "It's blisteringly obvious who she likes. Apparently she likes them short, skinny and annoying."

"Really?" Alice perked up like a puppy. "She really likes me?"

"Why would she fight with her girlfriend so much and defend you instead of her when you two fight? I asked Jessica at the deli about Bella and her girlfriend, and she had a lot to say about her." Jasper chuckled, "She used...colorful language about one Louis."

"She sounded like a horrible person." Rosalie bit, shrugging and turning out to look at the water that was calm out past the waves. "Not that I care."

"Yeah, right, Rosie." Emmett chuckled, pulling the blond's board toward his, kissing her cheek, "You know you like her. You said she has spunk."

"Like Ali." Rosalie nodded in agreement, "doesn't mean I like her."

"Whatever you say, baby." He kissed her temple before she shoved him away from her. "So are we doing this or not?"

"Oh, new bet!" Edward looked at Jasper, who furrowed his brow. "If I win, then Alice can't see Bella for a whole day."

"I can do that." Alice was screaming inwardly. No, she certainly could not do that! She needed to see Bella! "I-It's just a day, right?"

"That's right." Edward grinned, "That day starts tomorrow."

"Whoa, wait...I thought you meant today!" Alice pouted, her amber eyes watery. "No fair."

"Life isn't fair, baby girl, you know that." Jasper laughed loudly before reaching over and pushing Edward clear off his board. "Let's paddle out before he catches up!"

"That's right!" Edward gasped as he broke the surface, "You'd better run!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (Thursday Afternoon)<strong>

"Shitfuck." Alice grumbled as she past her parents on the sofa, who were cuddling. "Fucking Edward and his fucking bets."

"Maybe you shouldn't bet with him if you can't handle holding up your end of the deal, Ali-cat." Emmett guffawed when his small sister flipped him the bird. "That wounds me, girl."

"I know what else would wound you." Alice pantomimed holding a baseball bat and swinging at his crotch. She laughed at the pale look on his face, and spun around, dashing to her room. When she got there, she slammed the door shut and threw herself face down on her bed. "I miss Bella."

She whimpered and grumbled into her pillow.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella (Swan Residence – Friday Morning)<strong>

"Leslie!" Bella almost shouted into the phone, trying her best to calm down, "Holmes is throwing up...I-I don't know what to do now."

"Don't panic, Bella, just be really careful and bring him over to the clinic. I'll be at the doors waiting, alright? Be sure to lay some blankets down in the cab so he won't throw up all over the place, alright? Remember to bring his medicine with him, alright, sweetheart?" She was using her professional voice, and Bella sighed in relief.

"O-Okay." Bella did as she was told, and took Holmes to one of four people she'd ever trust him with. When she showed up, Leslie took one look and her face contorted with anguish. It must be really bad if she looked so sad now. Bella didn't want to be there any longer. She wanted to leave.

"I'll leave you to it." Bella turned around quickly and ran off, not bothering with a goodbye. She climbed into the truck and drove off as quickly as her slow, ancient truck would allow. Once she got to her house, she parked it, and sobbed until her body felt light, and nonexistent.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (Cullen Residence – Day of Edward's No-Bella Sentence)<strong>

"Hello?" Alice grumbled at the unknown number calling her. What was the point of having a caller ID, if it didn't even work?

"Alice? Its Jessica." the pixie sat straight up at the girl's tone.

"Jessica, what's wrong?"she bit her lip in anticipation of what her call was about.

"It's Bella. She didn't show up to work, and she hasn't answered her phone, no matter how many times I've called her. I'm wondering if something happened, but I can't leave the deli unattended." Alice stood up, slipping her sandals on, before grabbing her keys and her sling bag, rushing through the house.

Edward stood in the way of the door, and Alice snarled at him.

"Get out of the way!" She tried to side step him, but he just smiled and blocked her again. "If you like living, you will get out of the way!"

"What's going on in here?" Esme shook her head at her children, "What's the problem?"

"Alice wants to go see Bella, but she lost a bet and she isn't supposed to." Edward giggled behind his hand like a child. "So she's angry at me."

"Alice." Esme looked right at her smallest child and saw the worry on her face. "What's happened?"

"I don't know. Jessica, one of Bella's friends from work, just called me. Said Bella never showed up for work, and that's because she always shows up on time. She's tried calling, but she hasn't answered, and now I'm worried that something's happened." Alice looked down at her shoes to keep from crying, "I want to go find her."

"Then go." Esme looked at her son and pointed a finger at him, "Move. Now."

He ducked his head and moved away, running up the stairs without looking back.

"Hurry now." the woman smiled at her daughter sweetly, "Be sure to bring her over for dinner sometime, Alice. I'd love to meet the girl whose stolen your heart away."

"Gee, thanks mom." Alice chuckled before throwing the front door open and rushing out of the house, straight to her car. She climbed in, put on her seat belt, shut the door...and tore out of the yard. She normally didn't go this fast, but if it was Bella, she'd easily go double the speed limit on a 50.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice (Swan Residence Drive way)<strong>

"Chief Swan?" Alice slammed her car door shut, running to the man who was running his hands through his hair. He looked up at her, hope gleaming in his eyes, but that hope died when Bella didn't climb out of the car, too. "What's happening?"

"Bella's missing." That was all he could say, before he started to cry. A grown man, crying over his missing teenaged daughter. That was love right there. "I don't know where else to search. I've tried the park, the lake, La Push, the town square...where else could the kid have gone?"

"Would she have gone to the beach?" Alice was getting ready to race over there to check if she had been there, but she should wait to see if Charlie had checked there already.

"No, she'd never go there." Alice looked up at him in confusion. "She's afraid of the ocean."

_'That's why she was so stubborn about going to watch the competition...I've been pushing her and pushing her...' _Alice bit her lip. There was so much she didn't know about Bella, and here she was forcing her to face her fears just so she could show off to her.

Alice glanced off to where Bella's truck was parked and sighed. She would go on foot, right?

"Maybe you should have your guys check the woods surrounding the house? Perhaps she's gone to think, and just lost her way?" The pixie saw men coming out of the house, confusion on their faces. Why would the girl just up and run away?

The short girl felt a...tug. She couldn't explain it, she didn't want to. She just knew. Bella was around. She could feel it. She glanced at the truck again in curiosity.

She walked over to it, and glanced down through the glass, to find Bella curled up on the seat, fast asleep. Dried tears streaked her cheeks, and Alice felt her heart squeeze. Why had she been crying?

She pulled the door open as quietly as possible before she whistled to catch Charlie's attention. He came running over, and gasped in relief, tears still spilling from his eyes.

"Thank you. I didn't think to look in here..." He picked her up as easily as one picks up a baby, and took her straight into the house, straight into her bed. He tucked her in, and Alice stood off to the side, watching with a warm heart. "How did you know she was there?"

"Call it...intuition, if you will." Alice moved to sit on the edge of the bed, hearing Bella whimper. The sleeping brunette reached out and grabbed the shorter girl's arm, yanking her down and cuddling right into her, sighing.

"Doesn't look like she wants you leaving her side right now." Charlie chuckled slightly, "I don't know what's going to happen if he dies."

"I'm sorry?" Large golden eyes looked at the father pleadingly, "What's happening?"

"Holmes...he had a relapse, and Leslie isn't sure if he'll make it this time." He rubbed at his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, before looking down at the girls, "I don't know what that will do to her."

"I..." Alice sighed, wrapping her arms around the girl on the bed, "I will be here to support her. Don't worry about that."

"I'm not too worried about that." He sighed and turned, leaving the two girls alone. "Sweet dreams, Bella. Alice."

* * *

><p><strong> Alice (Saturday Morning after leaving Bella's house)<strong>

"How was she?" Rosalie asked when Alice walked through the front door. "I heard she'd gone missing?"

"That was just her dad having a panic attack." The black-haired girl threw herself down onto the sofa that her sister was lounging on, hugging said sister. "I don't know how she is, really. I left before she had the chance to wake up."

"Why would you do that?" The blond looked at her in confusion. "I figured you'd be thrilled to sleep in a bed with her."

"Oh, believe me, I loved it." Alice blushed before grinning, "She's a cuddler."

"A kid cuddler, or an adult cuddler?" Blue eyes lightened with mirth.

"An adult cuddler." They turned to hear Emmett laughing aloud, slapping his leg.

"Then she's perfect for you!" He slumped down into another sofa and grinned hugely at her, "So, what did she do first? Cop a feel, or grind into you while unconscious?"

"Neither, you sick ape." Alice blushed and smiled a little, "But I can't say I didn't do either of those things to her."

Rosalie joined in on Emmett's laughing softly, ruffling her hair.

"Then you definitely didn't want to be there when she woke up." Everyone turned their heads when a loud bark filled the air. Violet was looking at them quite intently, and when her eyes zeroed in on Alice, her tail started wagging like crazy, before she ran and tried to climb up on the sofa to get to the little surfer.

"Violet!" She reached down and picked up the fuzzy puppy, letting her lick her face in appropriate places. "I missed you, girl!"

"Ironic that you and Bella have the same type of dog." Jasper entered the living room with a collar, "Come back here, you little devil."

The dog whined and buried into the crook of Alice's elbow, tail still wagging.

"She's such a character." Esme came up behind Jasper and hugged him, putting her chin on his shoulder in a strictly motherly way. "You know, she likes to steal my left sandal."

"Maybe she thinks you should be barefoot most of the time, like your surfing pro kids." Emmett offered, shrugging his shoulders, "Or maybe she's peed on that sandal, and thinks its hers?"

"Gross!" Rosalie laughed, her nose wrinkled, "Don't you dare pee on my blankets, you little furry thing!"

"She would never." Alice brought the puppy up to her eye level, and giggled when her pink tongue reached out to lick her nose once, tail wagging. "Even she has a great sense of self preservation. She'd rather live to grow to her full height."

"I hope she gets huge." Emmett blinked and then threw his arms up, "She could learn to surf!"

"What?" Everyone looked at him as if he had a screw loose or something.

"Don't you remember when we were back in Tahiti? That dog that was surfing with his owner?" Emmett had a gleam in his eyes, "Oh, that had been so cool, but I almost forgot about it because we didn't have a dog before, but now we do!"

"Emmett, don't you think she's a little small to start that type of thing? What if she falls?" Rosalie looked at Violet and agreed with herself, "Much too small."

"We can hold onto her while we're out there, that way she'll know she's safe. The bigger she gets, the more confident she'll be that she can stand on her own." He simpered, crossing his arms over his massive chest, "Besides, when people find out that Ali rescued her, don't you think that'll set fire to the whole 'Adopt, don't buy' thing?"

"That makes perfect sense...and since we don't have sponsors, nobody can really tell us anything." Jasper's lips pursed, blue eyes thoughtful. "That's actually a great idea, Em. We haven't been proactive in much of anything aside from surfing."

"My children are all so smart!" Esme gushed before practically flinging herself up the stairs and to her temporary work room. "go out and do something productive while I'm busy!"

"Yes, Ma'am." All of them chuckled before filing out of the house one by one.

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><p><strong>Lots of shit goes down as the days blur together. It's a little fast paced, but there's a lot of things to get out before the competition starts. Louis gets mentioned less and less the more Alice spends time with her, and I think you guys like that. :) See you guys tomorrow.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Namaste!**

**To answer a question that was asked... You won't like Jacob for a while. But, there is hope for him. He does get better. Bella is twenty years old, making Alice nineteen.**

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><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Is there a reason you're here?" Bella sighed, leaning against the frame of her front door, looking at her fingernails.

"I was wondering if you'd be willing...to go on a date with me. Nothing fancy, just..." Louis closed her eyes before dropping onto her knees, "Please, Bella, I promise, I'll keep my hands to myself, I'll keep my language clean, I'll...do anything you want."

"Why do you want to go on a date?" Bella looked at the girl on the ground slightly embarrassed, but very curious.

"I just miss you. I miss the way we used to be, before the whole surfing competition came to town. Ya know, when I first met you at the pet store?" The black-haired girl looked up at her, and looked genuinely sorry for everything that had happened before. "I know I haven't been the best girlfriend, but I want to change. I want to change for you."

"Can you change? Or are you set in your ways? You did hit me, Louis. I don't know if I want to stay with someone who could stomach hitting me as hard as you did." Bella knelt down in front of the other girl and looked at her sadly, "You really hurt me."

"I know, and I'm so so sorry, Bella, please..." Her dark eyes spoke volumes about her sorrow, but Bella could never trust a person like her. Just one date. That would tell her if she'd changed or not.

"Alright. Just one date, for the sake of seeing if you're going to seriously change." Bella smiled before standing up, closing the door behind her and following Louis to her...car? "Hey, is this new?"

"Oh, yeah..." Louis smiled a little, unsure of how to act around Bella now. "I had saved up enough for it, and since I've been working at the pet store for so long, the dealership let me leave with it."

"It's beautiful." Bella meant that. It's not every day that you see a cherry red 2011 Mustang parked in your driveway, though it didn't compare to Alice's Mercedes.

"Thank you." She blushed at the compliment her car got from her girlfriend. "I was hoping you'd like it."

"It's nice." Bella touched the fabric of the seats and sighed, wishing it was the nice, pristine leather of another car. "Very nice."

"So...do you have a date in mind? Or are you open to other things?" Bella's head snapped to Louis, who just smiled, and started the car up. It roared, almost as loudly as her truck did, and Bella was worried now.

"I...what do you have in mind?" Louis glanced down at Bella's clothes and was a little pleased. She looked like she was waiting to go dancing or something, which was perfect.

"I think you'll like it. But, like I said, I'll keep my hands to myself." She drove onto the high way, and didn't give any hints until it was dark, and she pulled into the parking lot of a club. Bella's jaw dropped as she looked at the bright neon stuck to the walls of this club, and the line in which to get into said club.

"L-Louis, I don't know about this." Bella seemed to shrink into the seat, looking much like a deer in headlights. "I hate dancing."

"You don't have to dance, baby, please. I just brought you here so we could have fun and talk, and if you find that you want to dance and drink and go crazy, that's up to you." She winked and climbed out of the mustang, going around to pull a reluctant Bella out. "Come on."

Entering the club, Bella stuck herself to Louis, alarmed at all of the strangers. They weren't anywhere near Forks now.

"Let's find a table." Louis said in her ear over the loud, blaring music. "I think I'm in the mood for a drink."

"G-Great..." Bella flinched when someone touched her ass. _'God, I've listed my regrets. Add this to the list, damn it.' _

They found a booth, and sat down, too aware of the leering looks from the men surrounding them. Sometimes, Bella had a tendency to forget that she was a legal adult now, and that men were allowed to ogle her.

A waitress came to the table, and Louis ordered a heavy alcoholic drink, and a wine cooler for Bella, who said she wouldn't drink it.

Hours past, and the people around them were getting stupider and stupider. Some of them would stumble into their table, and the table would shake. One time, a girl was shoved against their table, Louis' drink spilling over and dropping onto Bella's lap.

After a while, she wanted to leave. Some date this turned out to be, huh?

"Louis, let's go now. I don't want to be here anymore." Bella turned to look at Louis, who had her back to her for a while. She hadn't been really paying attention to Louis, but when she turned to look at her, she was locking lips with a redheaded girl. One that looked oddly familiar.

Ah, it was Victoria Howard. Of course.

She scoffed, and stood up, taking her phone out of her bag. She bumped into someone, and apologized profusely.

"I am so sorry-" Bella backed up to apologize, but a firm hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up in confusion, before locking eyes with a tall boy with dreadlocks and dark eyes. "I-I...?"

"Don't worry about it, baby." He slung an arm around her shoulder and smiled at her drunkenly, "But if you're really sorry, you can dance with me a few songs."

"I-I really don't like dancing, so while I am sorry, I won't be that sorry." She pulled away from the man, who smelled very strongly of weed and alcohol, fighting her way to the exit. Fuck Louis.

"Hey, I didn't say you could leave!" The dreadlock dude was following her now, and she started to panic, running through the packed crowd of people. This place was hell, wasn't it?

When she managed to break through half of the crowd, a soft hand on her arm stopped her, and she looked right into familiar amber eyes.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Alice looked upset. Very upset. "Who did you come with?"

"I-I have to leave. Now." Bella started to cry, struggling through the crowd, Alice following quickly. When they got out, Bella gasped, and clutched at her chest, sliding down the wall of the building. Alice looked panicked, what was happening?

"A-Alice...m-my bag..." Alice strained to hear what her friend was telling her, but when she got closer, Bella grabbed her and crushed her to her chest, "M-My b-bag...L-Louis..."

The pixie pulled away and saw Bella's lips turn blue. Shit.

"I'll be right back, Bella!" Alice spun around and spotted Rosalie climbing out of her car. "Rosalie!"

The blond looked over at her name being called, her brow furrowed, before spotting her sister and rushing over to where she was crouched over a person.

"Bella? What?" Rosalie bent down and placed a hand over her forehead, frowning.

"Wait with her, I need to go get her bag from Louis." She was fuming, but that could wait. Bella obviously needed something from her bag. When she got inside again, she shoved through the crowd, a woman on a mission. She spotted the bitch with Victoria and scowled. She walked right up to them, snatching Bella's bag from Louis' lap, making the two of them separate in confusion.

"Wha?" Louis, who hadn't expected that movement, looked over at Alice, whose golden eyes were so hard with anger, it made her nervous. "Cullen?"

"Cullen!" Victoria hissed, backing up instantly. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"This is a club, Victoria, not your fucking bedroom. Take this shit elsewhere." Alice turned her glare to Louis, "I never understood why she stayed with you, but now, I don't give a shit. Whether she wants me to or not, I'm going to keep her as far away from you as possible. It's clear you don't love her as much as you say you do."

"You can't have Bella. She's mine." Louis slurred, and Alice wrinkled her nose. She had a major dislike for women who drank to get drunk. "She doesn't want you."

"Now I know you're lying." Alice pulled her fist back and punched Louis' nose, making it bleed instantly. "Stay away from her, if you know what's good for you."

"Bitch!" Victoria hissed at her, kissing Louis' ruined nose. Alice just laughed, bag in hand, rushing back out when she remembered that Bella needed it badly.

When she arrived to where Bella was, she handed the bag to the girl, who dug through it quickly, producing an inhaler. Inhaler?

"Bella, you have asthma?" Alice frowned deeply. She didn't know that Bella had asthma...

"Yeah, had it since I was a kid." Bella sighed as she finished taking two to three puffs of the medicine. "Ah, I'm running low. It'll last until I can get a refill."

"Let's get you home..." Alice helped the girl up off the floor, and when Bella stood up, she laughed a little. Alice was confused, what was she laughing at?

"You're wearing heels." The two of them glanced at the tall heels on the other girl's feet, and then at each other, "You're almost the same height as me now."

"Does that frighten you?" She grinned, "I like being a little taller."

"Doesn't scare me at all." Bella hugged the girl, "Thanks for helping me earlier. I don't know what I would have done had you not been here."

"You probably would have gone back inside, gotten your bag, and kicked Louis' ass, like I just did." Alice squeezed the brunette tighter, "I would never wish what happened to you tonight on anyone."

"I know you wouldn't. You're too sweet for that." the two girls pulled away and looked at Rosalie, who was smirking. "Err...sorry to keep you?"

"No, no problem. This was definitely worth watching." Rosalie's blue eyes sparkled brightly in the moon light. "Don't keep her out here too long, Ali."

"We're leaving now." Alice turned to Bella, who blushed. "Did you drive here? I didn't see your truck."

"No, we came in Louis' car." She pointed at the red Mustang, and Alice snorted.

"She bought that to show off to you, didn't she?" Alice looked it over, touching the hood before yanking it up, looking at the engine. "Rose, how does it look to you?"

"Damaged." Rosalie looked at the brunette and grinned, "Do you mind, Bella?"

"What are you going to do?" She watched as the blond snapped her fingers to her husband, who looked so guilty.

"Get the kit, baby." Emmett huffed and threw the trunk of Rosalie's car open. He handed her a tool box, and a bag of sugar. She winked at Bella, before climbing under the car, emptying the oil from it, letting it all fall onto the floor.

"Hey, that's kinda harsh...she just bought this thing today." Bella felt really guilty, and that's because the things they were doing, in essence, could be repaired.

"Hell hath no fury like the Cullen women scorned." Emmett joked before getting the sugar and pouring it into the gas tank. "This will really get shit fired up."

"What does all of that do?" Bella was curious...if she had to explain this to Louis, she was sure the girl would be pissed at who did it.

"Taking out the oil will make the car blow a gasket when she attempts to drive it, on top of scorching the piston walls. That will freak the car out. She won't be able to drive it." Rosalie patted her husband's back, "Nice pouring, sugar."

"Nice oil job, babe." he grinned, before throwing their sugar and kit back into the trunk. "Let's beat it before someone notices what we're doing."

"You got it." Rosalie climbed into her car with Emmett, winking at Bella. "That'll teach her to fuck with you."

"Thanks..." Bella blushed before following Alice to...a different car. "Wow, wait...another car? When did you get this one?"

"I've always had this one. I just use it for going out and such." She disarmed the alarm and unlocked the doors, motioning for her to climb in. "Ready to go?"

"Okay, let me get this straight..." Bella touched the yellow paint of this car and sighed aloud, "You have a yellow Mercedes as your every day car...and a yellow Porsche 911 Turbo GT2 RS as a going out car? Where do you have the money for these types of things?"

"In my bank account, of course!" Alice giggled before shutting her car door after she'd climbed in. When Bella did finally climb in, they both buckled their seat belts. She turned it on, grinning like a fool when a song came through the high tech sound system. "Love this song! We aren't driving until this song is over!"

Bella chuckled before singing the song along with Alice. It was Halestorm's 'It's Not You', and Bella found that the song was oddly fitting for the situation. When the song ended, Alice tapped on the steering wheel, getting ready to actually start driving.

They saw movement in the corner of their eyes, at the front of the club. It was Louis, rushing over to her car, keys in hand, pulling Victoria along behind her. Nicki Minaj's Super Bass came on, and Alice drove around to block the path of Louis' car.

"Hey! Need any help?" Alice winked from her seat, watching as Louis clenched her jaw. She watched that jaw drop when she saw Bella in the passenger's seat, waving shyly. "No car troubles, right?"

"None that you need to concern yourself with, Cullen." Victoria glared at the pixie, before climbing into the Mustang.

"Why are you with her, Bella!" Louis was yelling at her, but Bella just reached forward and turned up the volume on the radio, blocking out her screaming.

Bella leaned over in her seat, her breath touching Alice's sensitive ear, tickling it as she whispered words to her. "Let's go now. I don't want to see her anymore. Let's get out of here."

"My pleasure." Alice turned to Louis again, who was climbing into the car as quickly as possible. The two girls laughed before Alice sped out of the parking lot, out onto the high way. "Where to now, dear princess?"

"Princess?" Bella lifted a brow at her friend, before shrugging and grinning, "I kinda like that."

"So...where to?" The little surfer looked over at her friend, shifting to fourth gear.

"Anywhere but here." Bella leaned back into her seat, and without a care in the world, reached over to put her hand on Alice's arm, as her hand was busy holding the gearshift. Alice's heart thud loudly in her chest at the touch and she bit her lip.

_Oh God... Please touch me more..._

When Alice shifted into fifth, Bella started to pull her hand back, but Alice quickly stopped her, taking her hand off the gearshift. She touched her forearm, letting her hand move slowly to her friend's palm, her fingers caressing the soft skin for a second, before lacing their fingers together.

Bella gasped inaudibly, whimpering very quietly as a spike shot down to her nether regions. She closed her eyes for a second, before sighing and relaxing with those little, firm fingers between her own. She loved it.

"I think I know exactly where I want to go." Alice said it softly, and Bella turned to look at her curiously. Her fingers came up to fix her bangs and her light brown eyes once again locked with golden caramels, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." Alice smiled at her words, and turned off the highway, onto a smaller road that had small accesses on the side of the road. She picked one she'd been to before, and put her blinker on, driving out and parking in the parking lot. It was a beach access.

"A-Alice..." Bella's eyes widened before she started to shake. "I-I can't go out there."

"I don't expect you to. I won't force you to do anything. I never would." Alice's caramels softened a bit, turning off the car before she turned in her seat, facing her friend. "We won't leave this car."

"Thank you." Bella turned to look out the window, but when she saw the beach, the sand, she relaxed. The sand was never bad to her... "You know...I think...I can handle the sand."

"The sand? Are you sure?" Alice bit her lip. She was hoping for a definite 'Yes.', but wasn't willing to push for it. No way. "Whatever you are up for, Bella."

"Yeah, I think we can go...to the sand. No farther than that." Alice climbed out of the car slowly, pulling her shoes off and putting them in the back seat before turning to go to Bella's side, where she was already pulling her own shoes off, along with her socks. She did the same that Alice had, and when Alice reached out to help her out, she took the offered hand and climbed out, sighing when her feet touched slight, beaten down by cars sand.

Alice didn't let go of that hand, and led the way, but not pulling on her. She would do this on her own terms, at her own pace. When their feet touched soft, powder sand that wasn't hard pressed, Bella paused, looking at Alice.

"I'm sorry." They locked eyes, and the shorter girl gazed at her with adoration. There was no need for such apologies. She did nothing wrong. She made it a point to tell her so.

"You didn't do anything wrong. There's no reason for you to apologize." Alice squeezed her hand, "We can take as long as you need. If you feel that we can't go any farther than this, we will sit here."

Bella didn't answer, secretly swooning about what Alice was assuring her of. They would only go as far as she wanted to go. That was so sweet. She tugged the short girl along with her a little, and tentatively, they walked, step by step.

At some points, Bella would pull Alice closer to her when she thought she would take a step back instead of a step forward. The surfer didn't mind one bit. If anything, she felt very happy. She was helping Bella face her fear, and comforting her when she wanted to go back.

They made it quite a ways into the sand, a few meters away from the water. Bella couldn't go farther, but even with the distance they'd made, Alice was proud of her.

"I am so proud of you." Alice turned around when Bella said she couldn't get closer, and hugged her tightly, gently touching the nape of the taller girl's neck. The brunette threw her arms around the amber eyed surfer and nuzzled into her hair, trying not to cry. "You know, your father told me about your fear of the ocean."

"I figured out that someone must have told you." She started to shake, and Alice bent her knees, bringing the taller girl down with her. When their knees touched the floor, they stayed that way, hugging each other until Bella settled down onto her behind, legs curled to her chest. Alice sat sidesaddle next to her, as closely as possible because of the way Bella still clutched onto her, and she giggled. "Thank you...for letting us go slow."

"Thank you for letting me bring you out here. Now two of my favorites are with me." Bella sighed, hugging the girl's neck tighter. "I thought back, when your dad told me about your fear of the ocean, to the times I would push and try to convince you to come and see me at the competition. I want to say that I'm sorry. You don't have to deal with your fear just to come and see me, Bella. I just want you to know that."

"I'm...still going to come." Shy chocolates looked into happy caramels, "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I know its important to you, your surfing."

"Not as important as you being comfortable and safe." Alice shook her head. "You could watch me from your living room, if that made you feel better."

"Wouldn't be the same." Bella loosened her arms from around the smaller girl, only to pull her over her lap and between her legs, hugging her tightly. "I want to cheer my best friend on in person."

"You're sweet." Alice giggled, snuggling into the hug with a sigh. "You're my best friend, too."

"Good to know." Bella chuckled, smiling into Alice's hair. It smelled nice, and never looked dirty or greasy like the other surfers' always did. "What got you into surfing?"

"Honestly?" Alice looked out onto the smooth, glassy water and laid her head against Bella, thinking back on her first time surfing. "I was three. I had seen a girl, much older than me at the time, she must have been a teenager at that point. Well, she walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to go for a ride with her. I shook my head, because I knew my mother would have said no also."

"My brothers didn't surf at the time, either. They didn't understand the concept of it, but I got it pretty quickly. When my parents weren't looking, I had Emmett tear the lid off our cooler, and I took that lid, ran into the water, and used it to skim on the three to four inches of water that touched the beach. Of course, I fell on my bottom and cried for a few minutes, but then I got back up and tried again."

"My parents saw what I was doing, and of course my mom freaked out. She didn't want me to get hurt or anything like that. I told them that I wanted to learn how to surf. I wanted to ride the big waves with a pretty board, and... even then, I knew surfing...it was bigger than me. It was about being surrounded by water, the sun, the wind. It was beautiful to the three year old Alice. It's still beautiful to the eighteen year old Alice."

"When we got home, I begged my daddy for a surf board. He said that I wasn't tall enough for one, but we made a deal." She smiled at the memory, "He said that if he bought me a small skim board, and I got good at it, and took care of it, he would consider letting me get a bigger board. I just...went from there. I never needed lessons. My brothers and I, we learned together. We lived in a house on the beach in Florida, so it wasn't hard to find time to learn."

"Oh, when I surfed my first ten foot swell...that was the best. I was seven when that happened, and Emmett and Edward were there with me, holding my hands on either side of me. Sure, we had to let go once we were in the funnel of it, but...that was magical."

"A week after that, we went on vacation in Hawaii." She turned around, facing the brunette, her legs on either side of said girl's waist, "That's where the twenty foot swells reign."

"What happened there?" Bella was happy that Alice had such great memories.

"Well, we paddled out, expecting the waves to be ten footers, give or take a foot or two, but we were so wrong." Alice leaned her forehead against Bella's shoulder as she remembered more, "My mom was just calling us in for lunch, when a tall wave actually caught us. It was either surf it, or get off our boards. We decided to be big kids and surf it."

"It was so...exhilarating. It was like flying." Her eyes sparkled in delight, "Oh, it was so amazing! We were so scared when it first started, but by then, we were practically pros with swells half of its height, so our mother...she flipped out, and tried swimming out, but by the time she was waist deep in the water, we were riding our boards past her, onto the beach, high fiving each other on another job well done."

"She wanted to ground us forever, but when our dad heard what had happened, he was so proud of us. He had wished he had been there to see it, and we promised to try it the next day so he could see us. When he did see it, he flipped out much like mom did, only he didn't threaten to ground us." She chuckled, "He took us to get our first fish boards."

"After that, he started taking us places to surf different beaches when he'd get the chance. The Mavericks in California, Chile...different places. Of course, with all the different waters, we'd run into different issues. Like Jasper. When he and Rosalie were adopted into our family, we taught them how to surf, because they'd shown interest in it."

"One of the first times we'd taken Jasper and Rosalie out, he'd accidentally paddled into a hotspot of Jellyfish. Needless to say, if you've ever seen the scars on his body, you know what they're from. He was so embarrassed when Edward and Emmett had to pee on him to keep the stings from killing him. Unfortunately, our dad didn't really tell us that peeing on it doesn't really work, so we all got some odd stares."

"That must have been horrible." Bella chuckled, her forehead now resting on the other girl's shoulder. Their cheeks rubbed, "What happened after that?"

"We ran to a vinegar stand and splashed him down to break down the...stingers? I don't really know the exact terminology of the Jellyfish body parts, so when we poured the vinegar, we called our dad, who took him home and did some stuff for him. Put some shaving cream all over his body and used a safety razor to pull all the stingers out."

"How old was he when that happened?" Warm breath caressed the skins of both girls, and they shivered a little, "He must have been in so much pain."

"He was. We were ten at the time. He stayed away from surfing for almost a month, before he couldn't stand it anymore and paddled out with us again. With me and my siblings, surfing is a passion. An art. We couldn't stay away from it when we were young, and it gets harder and harder to stay away the longer you do it." She giggled, "And then there was the thing with Rosalie."

"Shark attack? Sting rays? Reef crashes? I'm dying here." Bella chuckled, hugging the girl tighter, "Please tell me it wasn't anything like that."

"Oh no. no, no. She actually..." The pixie snorted while laughing, "Her bikini always seems to come off at some point while we surf. It's almost a tradition at this point. I'm kinda hoping it'll stay on this competition. I'd hate for you to go out and see her completely nude on her board."

"That's funny." Bella smiled, and when a wave broke on the beach, she flinched, and pulled the two of them a little farther away from the water. "Oh god..."

"Bella..." She looked into concerned amber eyes, ones that shone with reflected moonlight, "What happened to make you afraid of the water?"

"I..." Bella shivered again, clutching at the girl, the waves behind Alice taunting her. Daring her. "I don't..."

"If you don't feel comfortable telling me about it, you don't have to tell me." The pixie put her hands on Bella's cheeks, rubbing her cheekbones gently, "Don't worry. I've never been one to judge. I'd never judge you. Not even on your fears. Never on your fears."

The brunette took a deep breath and gazed out bravely at the ocean. It was beautiful. Just like the girl sitting so closely to her.

"I came to visit my dad one summer...I think I had been six at the time." Alice listened intently. This was the first time, and probably the only time, she was ever going to hear this story. The girl kept this story under lock and key in a safety deposit box in a Swiss bank account in her mind and heart. "I came out here with a friend of mine. You know him...Jacob Black."

Alice stiffened, but relaxed when Bella's fingers pressed into her back, making her relax instantly. She whimpered a little, but bit it before it could be heard.

"He brought me out here, thinking it would be fun to see how far into the water we could go. My dad always made me wear a floating vest. He never wanted me to get into the water without it. Well, Jacob had been four at the time, and it was my job to take care of him and make sure he didn't do anything stupid. My daddy and his daddy trusted me to take care of him." She sniffled, "So, I did what any good older sister-figure would do. I took my vest off, and put it on him. Just for when we were going into the water."

"You know the flags they have now for when the currents are bad? They didn't have them here at that time. And I was only six, I didn't watch for wave warnings. So here we are, Jacob and Bella, walking through the water. At four, Jacob was fairly tall for his age, so we stood around the same height. We waddled through, and when we were waist high, I was already freaking out. I never went into water without my vest."

"Jacob assured me that there was a sand bar a few feet ahead, and that if I needed to, I could hold onto him and everything would be fine. I was an idiot to believe him. He was four, for God's sake. He didn't know piss from shit."

"Bella..." Alice ran her fingers through the long locks of brown hair, soothing her as gently as possible. She then grasped the girl's shoulders and hung onto her, grounding her. "I'm here for you, Bella."

"We kept walking farther into the water, and then, out of nowhere, Jacob was ripped away from me. Then I was dragged under water." Bella's shoulders sagged, "Jacob was rescued by some of the older La Push kids that had been around at the time. They didn't see me, because I was already underwater."

"After maybe a minute of struggling under water, I gave up. Water filled my lungs, and it burned. It hurt so badly. My vision became fuzzy, and eventually I blacked out. I didn't wake up until I was at the hospital with a thick tube in my mouth. They had to pump all the water out of my body. They said I was a little more than three fourths drowned, and if I hadn't worn such a brightly colored swim suit, they would have never found me."

Alice, though she was trying her best to support Bella as she cried, began to cry herself. Bella was this close to death at such a young age, and that's because she hadn't been looking for it. She took her own vest off to keep Jacob safe. The same Jacob that put her in danger. She was truly selfless.

"When I finally was able to leave the hospital, I made it as far as the sliding doors. I had my first asthma attack, and then, ever since then, I've had to carry my inhaler around with me. Everywhere I go." She sighed loudly, "It's such a hassle, but...it's a comfort. I can always rely on it to help with my breathing."

"I'm sorry that ever happened to you, Bella." Tearful golden eyes looked right into the depths of equally tearful chocolates. "You should have let the other kid drown."

Bella chuckled, "I probably should have. Ever since then, he's continued to think he needs to protect me. He thinks he's the best option for me, and that nobody else would ever be able to protect me the way he can...though I, if asked, would never agree. But some good things came out of it. Like my first job."

"What was your first job like? What did you do?" Alice asked curiously. "Were you...a pilot?"

"No way. I almost hate flying as much as I hate the ocean." She chuckled, "Actually, I became a CPR certified lifeguard. I worked at a community pool with little kids and adults. Ever since then, I make sure to keep certified. Never know when that type of thing can come in handy. The card is stuck in my wallet."

"That's really handy." Alice nodded in agreement. "I've got a question."

"Oh? Well, ask away." The brunette whispered.

"You know, a few days back, I was at the beach with my siblings. We were surfing, and one of the La Push surfers came up to me and told me that you were 'Jacob's girl.' What does that mean?" Alice tilted her head and smiled. "Have you been his girl before?"

"Never have, actually." She smiled back, before frowning, "Though, maybe a few weeks before you guys showed up here, he blackmailed me into a date with him. I didn't want to go, but I had him put together all the furniture in my bedroom. The Ikea stuff? Like the closet and the bed frame? Yeah, he spent all day putting that stuff together for me."

"What was your one date like?" Alice's cheeks puffed a little in jealousy. If only she could get a date with Bella once...though she would never in a million years blackmail her into one. That was just horrendous. "Was it fun at all?"

"Actually, it was the worst date I'd ever been on. And that's because all the dates I've been on with Louis have been pretty lousy." She looked at Alice once more before dropping onto her back, dragging the smaller girl with her. They laid in the sand, looking up at the clear, starry sky. "He brought me to one of the beach access...and he forced me onto a surfboard."

"What?" Alice sat up, sand sticking to the hair on the back of her head, "He forced you to go into the ocean when you're afraid of it? The idiot!"

"That's pretty much what I called him after I got over my fears, tucked in my bed while crying. I called him that over and over again. I mean, I was afraid in the first place, but then when we were out there, it was dark and cold, and I was so scared...i had an asthma attack right after I was able to get back onto shore." Her lips were hard pressed into a line, "I was seriously mad at him. I haven't been able to have a friendly conversation with him since then. He's not even supposed to talk to me until I want to talk to him. My dad even said so."

"Perhaps I should have a talk to Charlie about that." Alice hissed, her gold eyes hard as they looked out into the trees, praying for one Jacob Black to be hiding in the bushes. She'd kill him then. "Maybe then you won't have to talk to him ever again. Just like that...Louis."

"I don't want to talk about them anymore." She yanked the other girl back by the back of her shirt, cuddling up to her, "It's getting cold. Want to go?"

"I suppose that would be for the best. You aren't dressed for the cold." Alice stood up, helping her up with a hand, and standing close to her as they walked back to the car. It was silent as they dusted the sand off their bodies and clothes. Once they climbed in, their hands automatically seeked out the other, and it was comfortable.

Bella's phone ran from inside her bag, and she cocked her head in confusion. Who would be calling her right now? She pulled her hand out of Alice's with an apologetic smile and dug around for her blasted phone. When she finally pulled it out, it was Louis. The one person she really didn't want to talk to.

"Ignore it." Alice bit her lip. "If you don't want to talk to her, don't."

"She'll keep calling until I do answer it." Bella was going to answer it, until Alice snatched it out of her hand and ignored the call. She then pressed down on the end button, and it turned off. She tossed it back in the bag and simpered.

"Problem solved." Bella couldn't help but laugh and smile back.

* * *

><p><strong>And that was all in one swing! Now you've seen a little more into Bella's fear of the ocean, Alice's family life, and how she got into surfing, along with some BellaXAlice goodness we all enjoy. :) Thanks for reading, thanks even more for reviewing! <strong>

**Namaste!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Namaste!**

**I honestly can't remember the last time I updated...is that bad of me? For those of you that are new to Sea Foam, welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay, and just a little reminder, guys...Forks is supposed to be hot, and I don't know a lick about surfing other than what I've researched. To any surfers out there who read this, I don't want to come off as an idiot, so...just go with it? for me? Thanks!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella (Sunday Morning)<strong>

Bella Swan was lounging around her living room with a book when her cell phone, once again, rang. It had rung off the hook all morning, but she had been ignoring it, unless Alice's ringtone would come on. It was hard to not notice her tone of '_It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes, I am getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off'. _

She looked at the caller I.D. And felt a little nervous. It was Dr. Leslie Hart. Her dad's girlfriend. Her dog's doctor.

She clicked the answer button, and spoke softly.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Bella. Good morning."

"Good morning, Leslie. How is Holmes doing?"

"He's..." She paused, and Bella's stomach twisted, "Bella, he isn't responding to his medication or treatment...I don't know...what else there is to do for him."

"Is he going to die?" Bella asked bluntly, hoping for a no, but probably not going to get one.

"Bella-"

"Is he going to die or not?" Bella asked harshly, not wanting tears to start while on the phone. She'd start blubbering if that happened, and it was embarrassing enough when it happened in person. "Because if he isn't going to live, you should tell me now."

"Bella, please...I'm trying everything in my power right now. I'm going to start on two different methods, and hopefully he'll respond to these." She trailed off, and Bella stopped listening. Her best friend was dying. What was she going to do without him?

"Try everything you can." Bella sighed, "Thank you for helping him."

"Bella, wait-" She didn't. She hung up and placed her phone down on the coffee table. It started to ring again.

_Louis. _Ugh.

She looked at the book she had held in her hands not minutes ago, and weighed it in her hand. For a hard cover, it was fairly light. A white hot feeling went through her heart, and she stood up, bringing the book back and throwing it against the wall, the thump satisfying to her.

She stood up after grabbing her phone, and went upstairs. When she walked into her room, she gently placed the mobile on the beside table, and dropped down on her bed. She looked up at the poster of Alice, and smiled. Just seeing a poster of her made her feel so much better.

_'It's getting hot in here, so hot, so take off all your clothes-'_

Speak of the devil.

She reached over and pressed the talk button, placing it against her ear.

"Hey, you." She smiled widely. "Just the person I wanted to hear from."

"Really? I must be magical." The voice on the other side giggled, much to Bella's delight. "What are you doing today?"

"I was thinking of staying home and hiding in my room all day long...I'm not in the mood to deal with people or the public...i got some bad news today from Dr. Hart." Bella bit her lip to keep from crying aloud in the phone.

"Oh, please tell me what's happening..." Alice cooed, and Bella was thankful to have someone so caring as Alice in her life.

"Dr. Hart...Leslie, told me...that Holmes isn't responding to treatment. She's trying to keep me optimistic...but it isn't working. The more medication they have to pump into him, the more pills he has to swallow, and the more injections he needs, the less I feel he's going to make it." Bella started to sob then, and Alice gasped.

"I'm on my way over, sweetheart. You don't have to get up, when I get there, I'll let myself in." Bella nodded, grateful that she was coming over to spend time with her, when her world seemed to be getting darker by the second.

"Please hurry..."

"I will, sweetheart, don't worry. I'm speeding as we speak." She sighed, "I need to hang up now, Bella, but I'll be there in three minutes tops."

"Okay...be careful."

"I always am, Bells." She whispered, "See you in a minute."

"Ok." Bella hung it up and burrowed into her blankets. Whenever she would look around the room, she would see remnants of Holmes, and start to cry a little harder, so she tried her best to not look around. It was hazardous to her right now.

A few minutes later, she heard a car pull up into the driveway, and she sighed. Alice was finally here. It seemed like hours ago she'd called her, when in reality, it had only been minutes...

A harsh knocking on the front door made her jump. Alice didn't knock like that...

She jumped out of her bed and looked out the window. It was Jacob standing on the porch.

"Bella!" He shouted as he spotted her through her bedroom window, "We need to talk!"

"Jake, I don't want to talk right now..." Bella bit her lip and motioned for him to leave. "Go home, Jacob."

"No, we have to talk right now." He started climbing up the wooden ladder thing that Bella's mom had when she would garden years before, and was before her bedroom window quickly, nearly shoving her inside. "Listen, I don't know what's going on between you and that little Cullen, but seriously-"

"Jacob, Alice is a very good friend of mine. I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now, so please get out." She pointed to the window in which he came from, and he crossed his arms and stood stock still. "Get out now."

"No. I want to talk to you about what's going on." He glared into her eyes, and she flinched, looking away. "I know you love me, Bella. Stop fighting it. You've been in love with me since we were little kids. Since before we went swimming that day."

"You don't know anything." Bella backed away from him, "You are delusional if you think I love you that way. And if I'd ever said I loved you when we were kids, I was a stupid kid who didn't know a damn thing of what she was saying. Now please, get out. You aren't allowed here anymore."

"So that Cullen is allowed here, but I'm not? I've been your best friend since we were in diapers, Bella. Nothing could ever change that. Not even some surfing girl." He growled at her, and she bit her lip, tears spilling down her cheeks. Of course he was going to go this route. "She's going to leave you behind when the competition is over. Paul already confirmed it. She's going to get what she wants from you, and then you'll be chopped liver."

"You're wrong. You don't know her." Bella felt a pain in her chest, and gasped, clutching at it, "Y-Your just jealous that she gets to spend time with me, and you don't."

"Don't play on my feelings now, Bella." He took a step forward, and Bella stepped back. "What is it with you? Why are you doing this? You know I only want to protect you, Bella. I don't want you to get hurt! Why can't you see that?"

"Because you aren't trying to protect me. Right now? This whole interrogation about Alice, that's you trying to hurt me. You want to make me hurt so bad that I'll turn my back to her and walk away because of what I already _know _is coming. What you're saying isn't news to me. But here you are, mouthing off, when you're no better than what you say she is."The girl turned a little off to the side, "You'd do the same thing. If you got your way, you'd take what you could get before bailing. Typical boy."

"I'm not a typical boy, Bella, you know I'm not!" He shouted, his fists pressing into his temples on either side of his head, "You, you are so...! Ugh! I can't even...!"

"You're right." Bella laughed humorlessly, "You aren't a typical boy. no..."

She looked right at him, and he glared at her.

"You're being typical Jacob. Manipulative, selfish, little Jacob." He flinched at the word 'little'. Every time she'd leave to go back to her mother, she'd say, 'Don't worry, little Jacob. I'll be back later.', and he would always get upset. "Why don't you do us both a favor, and leave now? Whatever is going on with me and Alice is none of your damn business, and I'd like it to stay that way."

"Bella-"

"Bells! Is Jacob here?" Charlie shouted from downstairs, and both of them flinched visibly. She shoved him toward the window, and hoped he would just leave. Fortunately for him, he did, and jumped out the window, running to his truck. Good riddance.

"He was. He's gone now, you've scared him off." Bella called down the stairs before going back to her room, but pausing and yelling down again, "Alice is supposed to come over! Let her just come up when she gets here!"

"Okay!" He sounded a little busy, so Bella assumed that Leslie was either coming over tonight, or was already here. Either way, Alice was coming over, and she couldn't care less.

She laid down on her bed when the reality of what was happening hit her again. Holmes was sick. Sicker than ever before...and Alice...Alice was leaving once the competition was over... tears spilled from her eyes again, and she curled under her blanket, wishing that she could fall asleep and wake up to find that it was all a dream.

She had only intended to close her eyes for a few minutes...

When a warm body moved close to her under the covers, she whimpered and curled closer, turning around to nuzzle into the small, compact being. She sighed in contentment and wrapped her arms around the body.

"Bella? Are you awake?" That woke Bella up quicker than anything else could have. She opened her eyes wide, staring into happy amber ones, and she backed up swiftly, nearly falling off the edge of her small bed. If it wasn't for the hands that shot out to grab her and bring her back, she surely would have fallen off. "Hey, there, calm down. Are you always this jittery when you wake up?"

"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't-" A finger pressed to her lips to shut her up, and Alice giggled.

"Don't apologize!" She pulled her finger back and smiled, "You are such a strange girl, Bella."

"I...sorry." Bella blushed at the realization that she apologized again. "I...er.."

"Good morning." Alice offered softly, "How are you feeling right now?"

"Better now that you're here." She sighed, blushing darker at her words. She hadn't meant to say that out loud! "I-I mean..."

"Are you really going to take your words back, Bella?" Alice raised a brow before pouncing on the unsuspecting girl, making her squeak, and pinned her down on the bed, head on a pillow. "You know, when you say things like that, it makes a girl feel good. Taking the words back makes the girl feel not so good. Are you willing to live with the consequences of something like that?"

Bella shook her head. Nope.

"Then, don't take your words back. Even if you hadn't meant to say them, your mouth did." She winked, and blushed a little, "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I had been hoping that you would have some ideas." She sighed, "Jacob came over and completely ruined my already ruined day."

"Why was he here?" Alice glanced around and frowned when she looked at the girl underneath her again, "What did he say to you?"

"He actually climbed in through my window...as for what he told me...it wasn't anything I didn't already know. I guess he just wanted to rub his information in my face. Told me that I supposedly love him, and that we're meant to be. Something like that, anyway." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Do you believe anything he said?" Alice blinked a few times, her golden eyes soft. Of course Bella didn't believe what Jacob had said about Alice. The only parts that she did believe...was that at the end, she would leave. It was only natural that she would come and go, like the tides or seasons.

"No. none of it." Bella lied, but Alice couldn't have caught it. Bella hardly ever lied, but when she did, she was particularly good at it.

"Oh...alright." Alice had caught it. "Well, what do you think of braving the public eye with me for a few hours? Are you up to it?"

The brunette considered saying no, but when Alice's eyes seemed to beg and plead with her, she couldn't bring herself to say the two letter word. It ended up coming with an extra letter.

"Yes." She inwardly cringed. "Let's go...out or..something."

"Excellent!" Alice cheered, and though Bella hadn't wanted to leave the house...seeing her this happy was worth all the...pain of being in public right now. "Are you dressed for the day?"

They both glanced down at Bella's clothes, and Alice nodded.

"Let's go! The chariot awaits!" She stood up on the bed, and for some reason, Bella got the perfect angle to see some things she hadn't imagined she'd see...Alice looked down at her for a split second, following her eyesight, and then she blushed darkly before her golden eyes seemed to darken. When Bella moved her eyesight from a nice place, she seemed to snap out of it, and grinned. "Bella."

The girl refused to look at her again, which made Alice growl inwardly. She sat down forcefully on the girl's stomach, pinning her down again.

"Bellaaaa." Chocolate eyes turned to look into beautiful golden ones, the both of them feeling a little awkward, "You're a pervert."

"I am not." Bella pulled away from Alice and sat up, running her hands through her hair. "You have good taste in...underwear."

"You do, too, if you think I have good taste." Alice sighed, standing up. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"What are we doing here?" Bella asked as they pulled up into the parking lot of the surf shop Bella had bought the Alice poster from.<p>

"I want to see if they have any boards...I could use a new one. I tend to buy new ones for competitions." Alice pulled on some sunglasses that were way too big, and Bella assumed that it was to at least marginally hide her identity. Not that it was necessary, but whatever.

"I see." She pulled the glass door open and Angela was sitting behind the counter, a magazine in her hands, her nose buried in it.

"Welcome. Feel free to browse." She sounded so rehearsed...

"Hey, Angela." She looked up from her magazine in confusion, before tossing it away and standing up with a huge grin.

"Well, if it isn't Bella! Are you back for another Alice Cullen poster?" She winked before hopping over the counter to greet her acquaintance. "I've got a new one, too."

"I actually don't think I need another poster, but thanks for offering it to me." She laughed, "We, as in my friend and I, are here to check out any boards you might have."

"Oh, follow me then. What type of boards are you guys looking for?" Angela barely glanced at Alice, and led the two of them to the back of the store, where there were boards set up along the walls.

"I need a shortboard. Something in either baby blue or yellow." Alice giggled at Angela's expression. "What?"

"A shortboard? You're a little on the short side for surfing anyway, girlfriend." Angela just watched in amused fascination as the shortest girl snorted and laughed.

"I pride myself in my height, if I'm honest." Alice looked over at Bella before going back to Angela. "So, do you have any in yellow or baby blue?"

"I have one in baby blue that might be a good size for you..." She looked through the boards and grabbed one, pulling it out of the display racks. "Hows the weight?"

Alice took it into her hands, and Bella gasped. This was the first time she'd actually seen Alice hold a real surf board, and to be honest...it was hot. She could just imagine her in that bikini now...

"Bella, are you alright?" Alice grinned knowingly. "You look a little...flush."

"I'm fine." Bella poked her tongue at her and pouted. "Hows that board?"

"It's perfect. How much for it?" Angela thought about it for a minute, before smiling.

"It is a little pricey." Alice rolled her eyes. Everything having to do with surfing was pricey, because people who made things for surfing made it pricey.

"Spit it out." Alice chuckled at Angela's fish expression.

"Eight hundred dollars." Bella grinned and looked at the board before turning to her little friend and then to Angela.

"We'll take it." Alice cheered, and then carried the board over her head to the counter. "Bella, can you get my wallet from my back pocket. I don't want to put it down!"

"Why don't you take it out to the car? I'll be right along." Alice nodded, before turning tail and rushing out of the shop with the board.

"Hey, wait..." Angela frowned, "Is she going to run away with it?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm paying for it right now." Bella stuck Alice's wallet into her bag before pulling out her own wallet and handing Angela eight hundreds. "That's enough, right?"

"Bella, are you seriously buying that board for her? That's a really expensive one." Angela wanted to hand the girl her money back, but since the board left the shop...

"I know what I'm doing. She needs it for the competition, and I'm thinking of it as a good luck gift. In a way, I'll be with her when she surfs." The brunette blushed, "Don't ask."

"So she's a surfer?" Angela lifted a brow in a funny way.

"Yep." Bella glanced outside and saw that Alice was coming back. "Shit, she's coming back. Don't say anything about me paying for it."

"Alright." Angela held her hands up and stuffed the cash into her cash register before slamming it shut. "So, what's her name? She looks familiar."

"Where have I heard that sentence before?" Bella chuckled, "You know her. You think she's hot. And you sold me a poster of her before."

"Wait, are you telling me that that girl out there," She pointed at Alice, who was just about to open the doors, "Is Alice Cullen?"

"That's what I'm saying." Bella nodded, and when Alice came in, she practically danced to her side, giggling and taking Bella's arm in her own.

"Are we ready to go, Bella? I want to try the board out!" She smiled brilliantly, and it made Bella very happy. "Come on, come on!"

"Alright, alright!" She laughed, "Why don't you tell Angela who you are now?"

"Err..." Alice pouted, "Will she go rabid?"

"I doubt it."

"Okay." Alice pulled the ridiculous sunglasses off and Angela squealed.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S ALICE CULLEN! IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU! I'M A BIG FAN!" Angela sat down in her chair and took a few deep breaths, "Sorry about that..."

"It's no big deal. I've actually gotten tackled before, so you're handling this fairly well." Alice tilted her head with a smile, her golden eyes twinkling. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Angela. If you'll excuse us, I've got a board to try out!"

"Goodbye! Hope to see you at the competition!" Angela waved at them as they left, slumping into her chair when they left. "Wow..."

* * *

><p>"Why can't I use my new board, again?" Alice whined as Bella took the board upstairs to her bedroom, putting it against the wall. "Come on!"<p>

"Because if you want to take it to the beach, you'd have to leave me behind." Bella said the words, but they both heard the double meanings. "Do you really want to cut our day short like that?"

"Aww...you're right..." Alice sat down next to Bella on the bed and hugged her, "I'm sorry."

"Now you're apologizing? How did this happen?" Bella laughed as she slung an arm around the pixie. "Don't worry about it. You can take it home with you tonight."

"Okay. Then I get to show it off to my parents! Though, they've probably already seen the charge on my credit card..." She chuckled lightly, "Oh well."

"So, I think it would be a nice time to start watching movies. What do you say?" Bella asked as she picked up the remote for her television and cable. "Oh, they're showing Twilight."

"What's that?" Alice sat back between Bella's legs as they watched the dark framed movie. About halfway through said movie, Alice began to complain. "Wait, why is she with that mind reading guy? It's clear she likes that future seeing girl! And that empath, he's got the hots for the mind reader!"

"I totally agree...you know, that future seer is kinda cute." Bella joked, only for Alice to spin around and pout at her. "What?"

"So you're gonna go for that little, short..." She paused, narrowing her eyes before turning her attention back to the movie. "She looks...okay. I guess."

"Oh, so which character do you like better?" Bella leaned forward and cackled, "The future seer is clearly the better looking of all the women."

"No, I think the human girl is the best looking. She's so cool...though the actress' acting could use work." She shook with light laughter, "The character herself is amazing."

"Why did she go with that bad guy? I mean, even if it was to save her mom, that was a bad move on her part." Bella muttered, nuzzling into Alice's hair as she got more and more into the movie. _'I wonder if she'd notice if I kissed the top of her head...' _

"She loves her mom, Bella..." Alice said it subconsciously. "Ooh, he bit her. She's gonna turn into a vampire now!"

"Boyfriend's pissed now." the brunette chuckled, "He lets his emotions control him. He shouldn't do that, especially if he's a vampire."

"Wait, suck out the venom? She's already suffering, just let her turn!" The small surfer bit her lip, "Look, the future seer wants to be with her...aww..."

"Of course it has to come down to the boyfriend making a choice." Chocolates hardened, "Doesn't she have a choice in the matter?"

"If you remember, he didn't want to make her lose her soul." The pixie leaned into Bella and sighed. "If we were vampires, I wouldn't want you to lose your soul."

"Why, thank you. If we were vampires, I wouldn't either." Bella grinned, "Good thing we aren't vampires."

"How many movies are there of this series?" Soft hands touched down on Bella's exposed thighs, "I want to see more..."

"There are two others...and then the last book had to be divided into two movies." Alice spun around excitedly.

"There are books?" She cheered, "Why haven't I heard of them?"

"I don't know, they are insanely popular..." Bella tapped the pixie's forehead, "If you want, you can borrow the books. My dad bought them for me as a package deal for Christmas last year. All four of them."

"It's a deal!" She spun back around, and curled on herself, giggling. "What next?"

"It's dinner time. Charlie's probably starving by now. I don't know if Dr. Hart made anything for him to eat. Let's go downstairs and investigate." Bella smiled before using her hands to get up, only to slip on the sheets and tumble forward in a half stand, and on top of Alice. The girl moaned softly, biting her lip when Bella's body was flush against her back, her hips pressed tightly to Alice's rear.

"I'm sorry..." Bella blushed darkly, thinking back to the noise Alice had made, and her expression...shit, they were just little bundles of sexual frustration, weren't they? "Uh, let's go?"

"Y-Yeah..." Alice crawled up on all fours, her shirt lifting to expose her taut, flat stomach, and Bella turned away, her own stomach churning in excitement.

'What a way to spend a Sunday.' Bella chuckled before turning with a wink to Alice, who pouted. She grinned, threw open her bedroom door and ran down the hall and down the stairs.

The pixie yelled and gave chase. She would catch her for sure!

* * *

><p>"Bella isn't here?" Alice looked at Jessica as if she were crazy, "She said she would come to work today!"<p>

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think she lied." The blond shrugged, "She's got her reasons, I suppose."

"Do you know where she might be?" the look in the blond's eyes told her she did, but she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. No chance of her getting away without telling her. "I know you know something. May as well tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sweet Alice, but-" Alice leaned over the counter, staring right into her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Look into my eyes and tell me that you won't tell me where Bella is." Jessica turned her eyes to Alice's amber ones that seemed to glow and melt, her bottom lip jutting out slightly. _Oh god... _

"B-But I'm not supposed to tell you! How could you do that to me! What kind of friend would I be if I told you where she didn't want you to know she'd be?" Jessica threw her arms up in defeat. "Fine! She's trying to face her fear for you!"

"What!" Alice spun around, making a break for it. "Hasn't she seen the storm clouds in the sky? She's insane!" _'Why would Bella skip work to face her fear for me?'_

Alice hopped into her car and sped off, down to the closest beach parking lot. Bella's truck was parked there, and from the looks of it, it was still warm, if the steam coming out of it was any indication. She parked next to it and locked her doors, throwing her car keys into her pocket.

She ran through the sand, her head whipping back and fourth as she looked for her best friend. She looked up at the angry clouds, and bit her lip. Her dad had said something about none of his children surfing today... She was still searching feverishly, when she heard her name get called out.

"Alice!" The pixie spun around, eyes latching onto the person who called her name. Her hand flew up to her heart, thinking it was Bella. Of course it wasn't. The voice was clearly male. "Hey, Alice!"

"Hey, Seth." She greeted sweetly, but clearly not in the mood to deal with anyone else. "Have you seen Bella around here?"

"Bella? She doesn't come to the beach. Ever..." Seth cocked his head to the side, much like a puppy would, "Why, did she say she was here?"

"Her truck is here...and a friend from her work told me she'd be here." Alice's golden eyes continued their searching. Where was that tug when you needed it? "Help me find her, please."

"Oh yeah, no problem. You go that way," He pointed to the left, then the right, "I'll go that way. In ten minutes, if you haven't found her, come back here, and we'll think of something else."

"Great plan." Alice nodded, asking one more question. "Hey, did you watch the forecast this morning?"

"Yeah, they said a hurricane was coming in." Seth's face paled. "I was helping clear everyone out."

"We need to find her." Alice ran off quickly, shouting the girl's name. "Bella! Bella! Where are you, sweetheart? Bella!"

She got half way to the next access, only to be halted in her search.

"Hey, young lady!" A constable stopped her, hands out, "We're clearing the beach off. There's a hurricane coming soon. The rain has already started."

Alice looked panicked, "Please, my friend is out here alone, and she's terrified of the ocean, and she wasn't supposed to ever come out here without me, but she wanted to face her fear, and now I can't find her. Please help me!"

"You have a friend walking around out here? Are you sure?" He looked doubtful, but didn't push it when he saw the serious expression on her face. "What does she look like, and what's her name?"

"You're a police officer, you must know her! Isabella Swan! Bella!" She shouted again, and the constable's face contorted in confusion, and then fear. If Bella was out here in a hurricane, Charlie would probably hamstring him.

"Chief Swan's daughter? Bella?" He rubbed his forehead. "We should search right away."

Alice nodded, running past the man, still shouting her crush's name, her heart begging to hear Bella. She wanted her to be safe. That's all she ever wanted.

"Bella!" Alice's voice turned into wails. She needed to find her, but this beach was huge, it may take hours for her to find her, but they didn't have hours. They had minutes. "Bella! Where are you, Bella!"

"Fuck." Alice whipped her hair out of her eyes as the rain began to pour down, beating the beach into submission. "Bella!"

The rain thickened, and Alice couldn't see ten feet in front of her. The storm was coming now. A gust of wind blew, and Alice shivered, hoping this storm wouldn't be infused with snow or ice. Hail wasn't going to be good for anyone.

Alice ran ahead, not caring if she couldn't see. She needed to find Bella as soon as possible, the girl was probably terrified out of her wits right now. Her feet shuffled in front of her and her head snapped to the left when she heard noise.

"Bella!" Alice held her breath, closing her eyes tightly as the salty rain assaulted her. She was a little worried that she would be swept away by the wind... "Bella!"

"Alice? Is that you?" Alice blinked and rubbed salt water from her eyes, running for the tree line, and finding the girl of her dreams was curled into a cave made of the roots of a really thick tree. She was probably hoping to wait the storm out under here. The chances of that were nonexistent. The tree would have been ripped out of the ground, knowing her luck.

"Bella, oh Bella..." Alice hugged the girl quickly, sobbing. "You scared me shitless, and now..."

Bella's quiet gasping got louder, her lips rapidly changing colors.

"Alice..." Bella wheezed, "I-I can't breathe..."

"Bella, look at me." The girl did as her friend told her, and her heart fluttered slightly, "Please, Bella, calm down."

"..." Bella tried to get her lungs to calm down, but it didn't seem to be working.

"All of the fucking trainings and classes, and not a damn thing can help me now...!" Alice leaned forward, grasping Bella's face between her hands. _'I read something about distractions helping a small fraction of people having asthma attacks...it's worth a shot.'_

She pulled the girl's face to her chest, taking deep breaths herself, letting her chest rise and fall dramatically. Bella, who was leaning against the small surfer's chest, naturally tried to mimic the movement, and when Alice sighed, so did Bella. After a few minutes, color came back to Bella's lips and fingernails, and Alice was able to relax.

The pixie looked out into the pouring rain, and her heart hammered in her chest. They needed to get to drier lands. "We need to go, Bella."

"I-I can't..." Bella whimpered, "I twisted my ankle earlier...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, silly girl." Alice thought something over quickly, "Come here."

"what?" Bella looked up, her eyes red and swollen. Alice sighed, and swiped her hair from her eyes again, making Bella stand up on her good leg, before pushing her back into the girl's front, gripping her thighs tightly as she hiked her up into a piggyback ride. "A-Alice! I weight too much, put me down!"

"You're lighter than a feather, Bells." Alice felt a little strain, but not too much. She was currently running on adrenaline right now as it was. "Let's get away from this hurricane."

"This is a hurricane?" Bella's grip on Alice's shoulders tightened. "Oh god, I'm an idiot."

"Join the club." Alice joked, "But seriously, we are talking when we get out of this."

"You mean, _if _we get out of this." Bella bit her lip.

"No, I'm sure I mean _when. _There is no doubting me, Bella." Alice hiked her up higher, and had the situation not been dangerous for the both of them, she would have had to fight down her urge to make love to the girl right then and there. "I have a strong sense of survival. I wouldn't go down without a fight."

"If only I had that, too." Bella sighed, laying her head gently against the back of Alice's, not pressing any weight on it to cause her discomfort or strain. "Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

Another stray gust of wind blew past the two girls, almost knocking them over. Bella started to cry harder, repeating over and over the words, 'I'm sorry!'

Alice grit her teeth, trying not to fall over as the winds kicked up harder than before, her shirt and shorts yanking at her and snapping at her skin. Alice managed to get them to the beach access and spotted Seth and the constable waiting nervously.

_Seriously?_

Alice grit her teeth again in anger. Why were these idiots sitting around when there were two girls out there alone in a storm?

Alice stomped past them, to her car, and gently put Bella down on her good foot, before digging into her pocket for her keys. She unlocked the doors, only for the two males to look at them in relief.

"Bella!" Seth was running at her, but when Alice looked at him, he stopped. "Is she okay?"

"I'm taking her to my house. Go home now, Seth. Thanks for all your help, constable. I'm sure the chief will be proud that you helped me find her." She spat at the man, and helped Bella into her seat. She crossed over to the other side after closing Bella's door, and opened the door to the other girl's truck, fishing out her bag and going to her car and climbing in.

She handed Bella her bag and turned the car on, not bothering to look at the constable's shocked face. She smirked. To watch him get tortured would be satisfying in a way.

"Are you alright, Alice?" Bella was worried about her friend, and rightly so. She had carried her for almost ten to twenty whole minutes, struggling the whole way.

"Now that you're safe, I'll be fine." Alice winked before driving onto the highway.

**Random hurricane! Anyway, you know my Bella would be dumb enough to be out there. Yes, Jacob is still a jerk. Yes, Holmes is still sick, will he make it? I don't know. FYI, Bella actually has a lot of money, it just isn't mentioned, because it isn't important to her. **

**Until next time...**

**Namaste!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Namaste!**

**A big fat whopping 'Hello and Welcome' to any new readers out there! I'm glad you could be here.**

**Yeah, I would say sorry about the jibe on Kristen Stewart, but I kinda don't like her, and I am allowed to be opinionated on her in something I wrote. It's like Jacob and Edward haters. Only, I don't hate her, I just think her acting could use some work. Besides, the point was, I'm allowed to have an opinion without you getting butt-hurt about it.**

**On to better things, yay for brave Bella and Alice! Thanks for the reviews I've gotten so far, and I hope I continue to please you all! (Reminder, I only know so much about surfing. Everything I know I learned from vague research, so to all the surfers and surfer enthusiasts out there, I'm sorry if I come off as an idiot! I hope you'll still love me!)**

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><p>"Alright, Bella...it would seem that you've only sprained your ankle...are you running low on your asthma medication?" Carlisle rummaged through a box and produced a roll of wrap, beginning at the bottom of Bella's foot, half way to mid-calf.<p>

"Yeah, but it'll be fine." She sighed, "I just need to get it refilled."

"I've got a question." The blond man looked right into Bella's eyes with a smile, "Alice said she'd bought a new shortboard from a local shop."

"Yeah." Bella nodded, "It's baby blue. Has she ever had one that color?"

"No. She is getting partial to that color, though. I think it has something to do with that shiny bracelet she refuses to take off." He tapped Bella's left wrist and turned to look at the door, satisfied that Alice wasn't standing behind it snooping. "I looked back onto her account, and there was never a charge for a shortboard."

"Er..." Bella blushed darkly, running her hand through her chestnut locks. "See, about that..."

"You bought it for her?" He looked at her seriously, and Bella knew she would never be able to lie to this guy. You just couldn't.

"Yes." He smiled at her again at that point.

"She'll kill you if she finds out." The brunette gaped at his words, her hands fiddling together. "How much did it cost?"

"That's a secret. I won't tell anyone how much it was." She set her lips tightly. "It was a gift, and you can't tell her I bought it either."

"That's fair..." He raised a brow, "If she buys you something, too."

"She shouldn't though. It's a gift enough that she seems to want to spend every waking minute with me, when she should be practicing for the competition." Bella was going to continue, when her cell phone rang. She shook her head with a sigh, pulling it out of her bag at her side. She looked at the caller I.D. And frowned. She pressed talk and spoke softly, "Hello? Dad?"

"Bella! I heard from the constable that you were out at the beach when the storm hit, where are you?" He was shouting, but clearly trying not to. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine." She smiled, her chest warm, "I'm at Alice's house. Her dad's a doctor, and he's looking over me now."

"Good, good. Any injuries to report?" He joked, but paused when she didn't answer or laugh. "Bella, injuries?"

"I just sprained my foot. That's all." She looked down at her ankle and cringed.

"What about your asthma? You didn't have an attack out there, did you?" Charlie seemed to have a power or sixth sense that Bella hadn't counted on him having. "Bella?"

"Yeah, dad, I had one, but Alice was able to stop me from passing out." Her dad sighed aloud, and she sighed, too. "Well, I'm getting kinda tired. I think Alice is going to make me take a nap. Is it alright if I wait out the worst of the storm here?"

"Let me talk to her father." She handed Carlisle the phone without a word, and he just chuckled, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello, this is Carlisle." He spoke smoothly, the way doctors always should, but never did. He listened to what Charlie said carefully, and answered any questions he seemed to ask. "Yes, we rented the house down on 1st Mile. We've got trees all around, thick and strong, and we're about ten miles from the beach. The house, we've been assured, has been reinforced to withstand the strongest of hurricanes and floods. She's perfectly safe here. The glass is bullet proof."

"Oh, I haven't the heart to test that out, but I trust the owner of the house with my life." He laughed, his blue eyes light. "Yes, she'll be fine, my wife Esme is making food as we speak, and as she said, Alice is probably going to force to to bed. Even if she doesn't, I think it would be best for her, and nobody should ever argue with a doctor."

"Yes, thank you. Yes. I most certainly will. Take care now." He pushed the end call button and handed it back, "He said to make sure that you stay with Alice."

"There won't be a problem with that." A voice said by the door, which was now open. Alice was standing there in long pajamas and her arms crossed over her chest. "You'd have to pry us apart with a crowbar and possibly a two by four. Even then, I doubt that would be successful."

Bella turned to look at Carlisle after seeing the expression on Alice's face, and squeaked, "Help me!"

"You're on your own now, dear." He chuckled, leaving the room. Alice pounced on her in a split second and dragged her to her room, shutting the door behind them.

"Let's get you changed into something dry..." Alice pushed her to sit on the bed as she was going to dig through her closet...which was full. How long had they been here, again? "It won't take long to get you warmed up. My mom is making soup."

"Great...I'm starving." Bella blushed when her stomach gurgled loudly. "Err...I forgot to cook this morning."

"I've got a question, Bella." the brunette looked over at the pixie's back, which was still facing her as she dug through a couple of drawers.

"Ask away." She yawned, and looked out the large glass wall of the room. The room in which she hadn't looked at really. "This room...is so plain."

"Has to stay that way, considering we're only renting it until-" She realized what she was about to say and clammed up. Shit. She wasn't supposed to mention that...

"Until the competition is over and you all leave to the next hotspot." Bella sighed, "You had a question?"

"Where is your mom?" Bella saw the curiosity in the other girl's amber eyes, and smiled. "You...I don't think you've ever mentioned her."

"There are a lot of things I've yet to mention to you...but that would be something I probably wouldn't mention in passing." Bella nodded, pulling out a fold of pictures from her bag. She flipped to the one of her mother and her from her last birthday. She handed it to Alice, who now held a pair of pajama bottoms and a black tank top. "That's her."

The girls swapped items and Bella stood up, pulling her shirt over her head and letting it drop to the floor. A clatter in front of her alerted her, and she looked at Alice, who had dropped the fold of pictures. She was...drooling, quite literally, over Bella's exposed skin. Alice realized what she was doing, and that she'd been caught, and spun around quickly, much to Bella's amusement.

"Alice, we're both girls. No issue." Alice turned around again, looking at Bella in shock. "What?"

"Nothing, nevermind. Put that shirt on, already!" the girl pouted before bending over to pick the fold up. She looked over the picture that Bella had pointed out, and smiled widely. "You look a lot like her."

"Ah, I do for now." Bella felt a twinge of guilt in her heart, but smiled at the compliment, "But thank you."

"You said you do for now...is she planning to change the way she looks?" Alice flipped through more pictures, and couldn't help but giggled at a picture that had been crammed into the back of the fold. It was a baby picture of Bella with an ice cream stained shirt sitting in a stroller. She had a hat on, and some silly looking sunglasses, her tongue poking out to lick her fingers. "Cute!"

"Sort of..." Alice looked over at Bella, who had dropped her pants, her thumbs in the band of her panties. The pixie couldn't look away, and licked her lips. _Jesus Christ... _"She's planning to get a sex change."

"What?" Alice broke eye contact with her friend's panty clad ass and looked up, to see Bella looking right at her with a grin. She reached for the pants on the bed, bending over a little, and Alice, sure that Bella wasn't looking, rubbed her inner thighs together.

"She's getting a sex change." Bella pulled the pants off the rest of the way, bending over more in the process. "She's unhappy as a woman, so she wants to be a man who loves men...I think. Or a man who loves women. I really don't know what she likes at this point."

"What made her want to change her gender?" _'And miss out on this? Women were amazing! Being a woman was amazing, too!' _Alice bit her lip and muffled a whimper. Shit, this girl was hot. "Wait, was she ever married to your dad?"

"Yeah. For like a year." Bella pulled the pants up, hiding the smooth skin of her thighs and rear, much to Alice's disappointment. If it would have been deemed appropriate, she wouldn't have given Bella the pants. "They had me within that year. Shortly after that, my mom couldn't stand being married with a child, when she really wanted to be out there in a different skin, flirting with other people."

"I'm not sure if I ever would consider doing something like that..." Alice frowned, "What about you? What do you think about all this?"

"I know my mother's thought about this since she was ten years old. Its about time she gets to do what she wants, and now that I don't live with her to influence her decision, things should get easier for her. I was always the one person who would draw her back. Now she doesn't have me holding her back from what she truly wants. I'm excited for her...in my own way." She shrugged, "I love my mom, but no matter what, she'll always be my mother. Whether she has a penis or not."

"You're a good daughter, Bella. I can tell just from the sentences you've said." Alice sighed happily, "Are you tired now?"

"Yeah..." the brunette nodded at her friend, who pulled the covers back on the bed and let her climb in, following shortly behind. Alice cuddled up to Bella's back, snuggling. She was a little on the chilly side, but that was because she'd been freezing in cold, wet clothes. Now, she would warm up fairly quickly. "Are you warm?"

"Yep." Bella sighed, sinking further into the soft, pillow top mattress. "You're warm, too. Much warmer than I am."

"Give it a few minutes, and you'll be nice and toasty." Alice moved an arm hesitantly around Bella's waist. When the girl stiffened, she pulled her arm back.

Bella sighed, and reached behind her for the arm again. She pulled it over her waist, and pushed her back to the surfer. They stayed quiet, and a few minutes later, Alice felt sleep strike her like a baseball bat. Bella could hear the surfer's soft snores, and couldn't help but feel lulled into unconsciousness by the soft, comforting noises.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Alice - Tuesday Morning<strong>

A wet nose pressing into Bella's face made her giggle, even in her sleep. "Holmes, I'm still sleepy...go bother Watson for a while, please..."

A lick made her laugh a little harder, and she rolled over, only to be cuddled into. Wait. _Cuddled into? _Bella cracked her eyes open, and saw Alice's face not five inches from her own face, still snoring. Her hair stuck up in a cow lick, and Bella thought it was adorable.

Bella considered kissing her...but she was not a cheater. She was still, technically, with Louis. That, and...she didn't want to hand over her heart to the surfer girl just like that. Even though she knew she'd be happy doing that, she didn't want to live through the hardship that would come later.

She thought back a few seconds...something had licked her.

She turned over to the other side, and saw blue eyes and a furry face looking at her from the edge of the bed. A puppy.

"You must be the infamous Violet." She chuckled when the puppy's tail wagged furiously, and whispered, "Well, come on up here. You'll have to help me."

She helped the pup onto the bed and she jumped all around the bed, her triangular ears twitching slightly as she jumped around. She found Alice's face, and started to lick up a storm, making her groan and try to swat the licking offender away.

"Mmm..." She screwed her face in disgust. She knew something nasty was happening, but before she could sit up, Bella crawled over her, holding her hands captive against the mattress. Alice's eyes opened quickly, her hair still sticking up. "Bella? What-"

Violet attacked her face vigorously, and Alice struggled, "Oh GOD! Get her off me! I don't know where that mouth has been! BELLA!"

Bella laughed heartily, "What? She just wants kisses from you! You should be pleased."

"Well, I'm not! Get off!" Alice whined then, arching her back to throw Bella off of her. The movement made both girls make embarrassing noises, and Bella realized that they'd crossed a line then. She climbed off quickly and took the puppy with her, though it struggled to get away from her arms. "What a way to be woken up."

"She woke you up. I didn't."

Alice 'glared' at her and pouted. "You held me down! You let me go through such torture!"

"Oh please. Kisses aren't considered torture. Painting a dog's nails...now that's torture. What color is this, anyway?" Bella looked closely at the dog's perfectly manicured, polished nails.

"That is a shade of purple. Not too sure. It's too early in the morning for me to tell." She sat up and looked out the window glass, "And it's still raining."

"Yeah, it's a hurricane. They tend to stick around for at least two or three days." Bella glanced over at her friend, sighing. "What's on the agenda for today? The worst of the storm is over."

"Shopping, of course." Alice grinned, "I need to find the perfect swimsuits for the competition, and you may as well wear some nice stuff too. You're going to be cheering me on!"

"Shopping? Are you serious?" Bella looked down at her ankle, "Look at my foot! It's swollen. There's no way in hell we are going shopping."

"If you value our friendship, you will." Alice's eyes narrowed before smiling, "I already have a wheelchair lined up for you."

"Oh God..." the brunette buried her face in her hands, "This...this is sick! You have a disgusting advantage over me! It's not fair!"

"Baby, has anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair." Alice made a gun with her hands and blew the steam off the end. The movement itself was completely sexy, and Bella grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, I think it'll be totally and completely worth the trip."

"Why do you say that?" Bella wrinkled her nose. She never shopped for herself. Always for Holmes or her room or her dad. Never clothes or shoes. "What stores are you wanting to hit up, exactly?"

"We're going to hit some local stores and Port Angeles, and if I can't find anything I like here, we're going up to Seattle." Both girls frowned at each other. "Got a problem with that?"

"Pfft." Bella looked at the puppy, who just looked at her with her head cocked to the side as puppies do. "Get off me."

"Don't be mean to my puppy." Alice tapped her shoulder and huffed, "Let's get dressed...my mom washed your clothes last night."

"Sweet. I'd love to walk out of here in clothes I came wearing last night." Bella rolled her eyes, "God. I'm so embarrassed."

"What? Why?" Alice climbed off the bed and dashed to her dresser, throwing her shorts down and pulling on some jeans. Before Bella could even blink, the girl was dressed in different clothes. She'd barely seen anything!

"Because...when people have one night stands, the girl usually leaves wearing the same clothes and makeup and hair." Bella bit her lip, "They usually leave the house, and call for a cab or something. I've never had to do that, but I've seen it happen a million times."

"When have you ever seen that done? And in a town this small?" Alice looked doubtful.

"I haven't lived here my whole life. I actually just moved here a few weeks before you guys came down." She simpered, "I used to live in Arizona."

"Really? Too far from the ocean for my tastes." Alice giggled, "Here are your clothes."

"Ah, I'm doing the walk, then." Alice chuckled, before bending down to pick her puppy up. She walked out her bedroom door and called over her shoulder.

"I'll be downstairs when you're ready!" Sigh.

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><p>"Okay...so why are we here again?" Bella looked around cautiously. She wasn't sure, but whenever she went out in public, she felt like someone was waiting in a corner or hallway for her to walk by so they could tackle her. Not a nice feeling. "And if it's possible...can we leave as soon as possible?"<p>

"Bella, hush." Rosalie turned around and practically burned the brunette with her glare. "Alice enjoys shopping. So suck it up and follow."

"Right." Bella huffed, her shoulders slumping. She looked once at Alice, whose eyes were glittering while she looked at the store fronts. _Awwww... _She stood straighter and couldn't help but smile. Not when she looked that happy. "So which store first, Ali?"

The pixie spun around and smiled blindingly at the taller girl. She began to bounce on the balls of her feet, her cheeks pulling back so far, everyone was a little worried that her face would break into two halves, or her mouth would break open.

"What? What's got you so...like this?" Rosalie made a height motion with one arm, her sister-in-law still bouncing around like a child on a sugar rush.

"Bella, what did you call me?" Golden eyes were locked onto confused brown ones.

"Uh...Ali?" Bella blushed a little, "I mean, if you don't like...you know what? I don't care if you like it or not...which is clearly not the case. You're jumping up and down like a Mexican Jumping Bean, I doubt you dislike it."

"And you're right about that!" She stopped bouncing, pumping her fist into the air with a small 'Yay!', and then going to throw her arms around her tallish best friend. "I'm so happy now!"

"Why?" Bella chuckled, letting her hand rest on Alice's head lightly, "It's just a shortening of your name. Two letters less."

"I know, but it's a nickname! You took it upon yourself to call me something other than my name!" Alice seemed to vibrate against Bella's side with all the pent up energy she had. "Oh my god! I'm so buying you something today!"

"Err...why? I don't need anything." Bella looked at Rosalie, who had a smug smile on her face. "What is that look for?"

"Oh, nothing." She flicked her blond hair over her shoulder before grinning at her and, with a sway of her hips, sauntered away. "Good luck getting out of her buying you something, though."

"Hey, wait!" the brunette shouted, "How do I deal with this?"

The blond kept walking, waving her arm over her head in a dismissive way. Bella bit her lip. Shit. She didn't like people putting attention on her, much less spending money on her. Even hard earned money.

"Don't worry, Bella." Alice giggled, hugging her arm now. "I'll take it easy on you...for now. Now come along. We've got bikinis to buy."

"Oh god." She cast a worried look at Alice, who just smiled and pulled her into one of the stores. "You said easy."

"This is easy." The pixie's eyes flashed, and then she pulled her over to the overwhelmed racks of different bathing suits. From bikinis to one pieces, in every color and shade in between, there was something. One glance at the price tags had Bella backing up. "Where are you going?"

"To a cheaper store!" Bella spun around to leave, only to feel a firm arm on her shoulder, fingers digging in. "Don't do this to me!"

"I can and will do this to you. Now, don't raise your voice at me, lady." Bella was spun around and pushed into a chair that was conveniently placed near the racks Alice was going to be searching. She would always be in view. "Now be still. I'm looking for some for you, and some for me."

"I hope for overcast weather." Alice shot her a glare, and Bella flinched.

"Don't hope for that! That means that I won't be able to surf then!" She tossed something at Bella, who caught it clumsily. She looked at it, and blushed. A bikini top. "You'd better start praying and sacrificing small animals for Sun and great waves!"

"...sure." Bella sighed, leaning her head back against the support beam behind her. The soft clicks of the plastic hangers hitting each other was pretty much all she could hear, until she heard that nasty metal grinding on metal sound. Alice had shoved a bunch of the hangers together, away from what she was currently looking at. "How is the search going?"

"Fairly well. I already have three picked out for you." Bella's head shot up, and she adopted a panicked expression while leaning forward. "And four for me."

"H-How many do we need?" Alice pursed her lips, pausing on a pretty pink one, before turning her calculating amber orbs to her friend. She was still on a high from Bella calling her 'Ali'.

"Twenty." Bella blinked, not saying anything as she leaned back in her chair. She ran a hand through her hair and looked up at the ceiling. "Each."

"Why do we need so many?" Bella was on her feet instantly, going to her friend and putting her hands on her shoulders and gently shaking her. "WHY?"

"Bella, you're calling attention to us." Alice gently reminded, prying her friend's hands off her shoulders. "You haven't seen the surfing competitions, have you?"

"No. Never." Bella shook her head, still unable to grasp why a person would need _twenty _bathing suits. "Why?"

"Alright...for this competition, there will be nine days of surfing. Nine. That's nine suits alone. Then, at the after events, we wear different bathing suits than the ones we'd worn to the competition. That's just the way it's always been. Sure, the La Push kids won't do that, because they're mostly made up of boys, and one girl...but if they could afford to do this, they would." She tilted her head a little to the side, "And you are a part of our troupe. Sure, you don't surf, but you're still a part of us. A part of me. I want you to be represented."

"That's...awfully sweet of you, Ali, but-" Alice squealed and threw her arms around Bella again. She just chuckled and hugged the girl back.

"There you go again, calling me Ali!" She stepped away from Bella and handed the girl five bathing suits she had in her left hand. "Here, these are for you to try on. I just want a basic idea of what you're comfortable in, and what styles you look good in, and what size. I'm not worried about colors or patterns, I can figure that out myself."

She pulled Bella to the changing rooms and pushed her into a room with her five bathing suits, "Now try each one on. I want to see all five, so don't take them off until I've seen them on you. I'll do the same. We meet out here in two minutes!"

She jumped and walked into the room next to Bella, and shut the door.

Bella sighed as she kicked her shoes off. Of course she'd be roped into trying skimpy stretchy fabric to be shown off at the competition. Jacob is gonna freak.

She pulled her shirt over her head and dropped her pants. She looked at her panties and her bra and chuckled. Of course they didn't match. She shook away those thoughts, and pulled her bra off. She disentangled the first bikini top she could, pulling it on. A string bikini in a forest green color. Hmm.

Once it was secured, she reached for the bottoms, holding it awkwardly between her clenched thighs as she tied it on the left side, and then the right after lifting it up a little. She shook her hair out and looked at herself in the mirror. The dark color set against her skin did wonders. She looked good, oddly enough.

She sighed as she touched the skin of her stomach. She wasn't fat, but she wasn't exactly stick thin and taut, either. She was soft, because...well, she didn't do sports. The only exhilarating thing she'd ever done was take Holmes to the park while on a dog scooter. Three scared cats, a knocked over trashcan and a bruise on her leg later, she threw the scooter into the closest business trash can, never to be seen again.

She turned and tilted her head up to talk to Alice over the wall between them.

"Alice, are you done?" She could hear a slight shuffling, before Alice's dressing room door opened. She took one last breath before opening her own door and walking out, looking at the floor in embarrassment before looking up at Alice.

Her jaw had dropped open, and her golden eyes were glued to Bella's form. Bella wasn't much better. The small surfer looked...amazing.

Her small frame was covered by a dark blue bikini that hugged her tight, fat free body. Bella blushed, and let her eyes drop to the carpeted floor.

"That...that looks amazing. We're taking that one most definitely." The pixie spun around and entered the changing room again, shutting the door softly before throwing the lock home.

"Yours was nice, too!" Bella threw over her shoulder as she turned and entered the changing room again.

Alice leaned against the door of the changing room, trying her best to not hyperventilate. Her breaths were coming in quick, shallow strokes, and she couldn't shake the feelings she had.

_'She was fucking amazing in that bathing suit! How the fuck...' _She shook her head again, swallowing down her accumulated saliva. _'Fuck, I almost... No! Don't think that, Alice! If you do, you won't be able to leave this changing room without relieving the pressure!' _

Alice gasped, wondering whether or not Bella would lend her the inhaler in case she happened to stop breathing.

She yanked her bathing suit off and moved to the next one. She heard a soft grunt from the room next door and she clenched her thighs together. _'Fuck.' _

She thought back to the way Bella looked in that forest green bikini and... _'Oh god... her shoulders were so...ugh, and that stomach! So soft looking!' _

_ 'And those thighs...oh god...' _Alice bit her lip when she felt a little damp where she wished she wouldn't. _'Ah...that might put a damper on trying on more bathing suits...'_

"Bella!" Alice tried to not make any embarrassing noises as she talked to her 'best friend'. It was starting to become clearly apparent that she was going to break out of that zone quickly into 'crush' and possible 'summer fling'.

Wait. _'Summer fling? Is that what I think about Bella? That she's just a summer fling I'll forget about when the competition is over? That's not right...' _Alice growled and ran her hand through her flattened hair. _'Fucking shit...' _

"Yeah? Alice?" Bella called over, and Alice smacked her forehead. She'd gone off into her thoughts without realizing that Bella had called back to her. "You called me, right?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to hit up some other stores now? I can find what we need in a flash. I already got an idea of what would be good for you." She cringed at what she'd said...but it was close enough to the truth, wasn't it? Hell, if she wasn't so inclined to make Bella show off her luscious form...she would have the girl wear sweaters, jeans and a heavy overcoat.

"That sounds great!" There was a small crash, and a yelp.

"Bella!" Alice almost sprinted over to the other girl's changing room, but stopped herself when Bella called back to her.

"I'm fine! I'm okay!" She laughed aloud, much to Alice's surprise. "I tripped on my shoes."

"Silly Bella." Alice leaned against the wall that separated both girls and sighed, "What will I ever do with you?"

"I think the better question is 'what would you do without me?', Ali." The girl laughed, not knowing just how she'd struck her friend. Like a hammer to her chest, the air left her lungs, and she nearly cried. Just what _would _she do without the beautiful, clumsy, lovable and adorable Bella Swan? What would become of her when she and her family cleared out for the next competition?

"That is...definitely a better question." She bit her lip to keep from crying. She sighed aloud, thinking for a few minutes. _'I've got two and a half weeks or so before we leave. I have to make the best of those two and a half weeks. No matter what happens in the end, she has to have good memories with me.' _"Ready to go?"

"Almost. My jeans are fighting with me." Alice felt a small thud against the other wall, and she laughed, imagining Bella hitting the wall while trying to shimmy her jeans up her thighs. "Shit, these things..."

"I'm going on ahead to find more bikinis, Bells." She gathered her bathing suits and walked out before Bella could whine or complain, and found the best ones for the both of them. She knew, after looking at Bella's body in a swim suit, that she would look amazing in all of them.

When Bella came out, tugging a shoe on, she snatched the other five bathing suits and went to the register, surprising the cashier. She just smiled her famous smile, and dazzled the girl behind the counter.

"W-Will this be all?" Bella's head snapped to where her pixie friend went. "Did you find everything that you needed?"

"Why, yes I did!" Alice giggled, "Thank you for asking."

"This is a lot of bathing suits...any particular reason you needed this many?" The girl raised a brow before beginning the scanning process for each item. She had to take alarm tags off of all of them, so it was an even longer process. Her talking to Alice wasn't helping the situation. "Nobody has ever come in and bought so many."

"Oh, I'm a surfer that's participating in the competition next week." Insert irresistible smile here, "Do you watch the competitions?"

"Of course I do!" The girl grinned, "Which group do you belong to?"

"The Cullen Five. My sister is actually running around here in the building somewhere..." Alice turned around to look out the doors, missing the predatory look the cashier was sending her unsuspecting body. She licked her lips, running her tongue over her top teeth before looking away quickly and scanning more items. Alice accidentally bumped into the counter and her bag dropped off of her shoulder, things spilling out of her bag. "Oh, damn."

She bent over to pick everything up, getting on her hands and knees to pick everything up. Bella rushed over to her friend's side and helped her stuff her bag again, smiling sweetly at her little friend. When they stood up, the cashier glared at Bella harshly. The brunette visibly flinched, and Alice noticed it.

She looked between the cashier and her best friend curiously, trying to piece things together. She pursed her lips for a second, and shrugged. They were leaving the store soon anyway.

"Alright. Everything's been scanned." The girl giggled, "Your total is-"

Bella stopped listening at that part. The guilt of knowing how much money her friend spent on her would eat at her heart and other vital organs. She did, however, pay attention to when Alice was handing the cashier her plastic card.

The cashier purposefully brushed their fingers together, and Bella felt a flood of jealousy at the small act. She grit her teeth together and strode closer to where Alice was standing, throwing her arms around her tightly.

"Oh? Bella?" The surfer smiled widely, touching her arms fondly, "Is something the matter?"

"No...just felt like a hug, I guess." She turned her chocolate eyes to the cashier, who was almost bending Alice's card in her hand. Alice looked up and her face turned from happy to furious.

"Hey! Watch it!" She struck like a cobra, taking her card away from the woman, "I only have three of these things!"

The cashier was shocked that Alice would react that way, but printed out the receipt and handed it to her quickly, not wanting to anger the pixie further.

You don't fuck with Alice Cullen and her shopping. Some bitch is gonna get slapped.

"Come on, Bella. We've got other stores to destroy." Alice half dragged the brunette out, curious but not too curious, as to why her friend had clung to her the way she did. She normally didn't initiate public displays of affection... "So what happened in there? I'm normally the one that starts the hugging."

"Er...like I said. I felt like a hug was in order." She blushed lightly, pink dusting onto her cheeks, "Let's go..."

"Right." The surfer held her free hand out and when the taller girl took it and followed, she was overjoyed. "What next?"

"I think a nice cardig...Rosalie?" Bella turned to look in the direction her best friend was, and saw Rosalie grinning at them from the other side of the wide street, followed by two police officers, and her arms cuffed behind her back. "What did you do?"

"Nothing you wouldn't have, Ali." She winked and struggled a little, making the police officers grumble before laughing and letting them half drag her away. "Just come get me at the 'station' when you get the chance!"

"Maybe I should leave you there!" Alice guffawed, throwing her head back, "Oh god, that's too funny!"

"Um..your sister just got arrested...shouldn't you be worried?" Bella's eyes followed the police officers warily, "I mean...what do we do?"

"Give them enough time to figure out what her bail is. That's all. It was probably something small. She never goes overboard." Alice rolled her eyes, "I wonder what she did this time."

"Maybe we should follow her?" Bella looked torn between continuing their day together, or going and helping the blond.

"No, she'll be fine. This has happened before, and to tell you the truth..." She leaned closer, whispering in the brunette's ear, "I'm surprised she lasted this long."

She leaned back, standing straight with a smile, "Besides, they won't let her go until they figure out what the bail will be. That probably won't be until tomorrow morning, knowing all the surfers in the area. So, as I was saying, a nice thin cardigan would probably be best for you. I know the winds can get a little chilly for people who aren't used to beach weather."

The taller girl just nodded and followed like a puppy.

* * *

><p><strong>More on Bella and her family... You don't mess with Alice and her shopping! And Rosalie has been arrested. What has she done, and to whom? You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out, now won't you? ;) Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Namaste!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Namaste!**

**Hello, everyone! Thanks for the reviews I've been getting, they make me so happy! On a sad note, my laptop has been obliterated beyond repair...so, the updates, while still coming at the regular fashion, might not be as...late, as they usually are. My boyfriend broke it (screen cracked) and now I'm resorting to using his. Don't worry, all of my hard work is still saved online via Dropbox. (Thank god.)**

**Rosalie is a little hell cat, ain't she?**

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's try this again." Charlie sighed as he leaned back in his chair, looking over the blond girl who was just looking at him with uninhibited curiosity. "You hit that other girl...why?"<p>

"She...who are you again?" Rosalie cracked a smile at his distress, "You look a little familiar, if I'm honest."

"My name is Charlie Swan. I'm the chief of police." He pinched the bridge of his nose before grumbling. "Why did you hit that other girl? I just want your statement so we can all go home."

"Ah...Swan." Rosalie nodded, happy with her findings. "You're Bella's father."

"You know Bella?" The blond blinked and smiled again, nodding. "My daughter doesn't normally hang out with people who fight others."

"She wasn't around when I did it." Her blue eyes lit up. "Oh, I took such pleasure in hearing her nose break. You would too, if you heard the things she was saying about Bella. My sister would have probably killed her. Lucky for her, it was me she ran into."

"Or maybe unlucky...as you did run her over with a shopping cart..." Rosalie shrugged, making Charlie slouch in his chair. "Was this predetermined?"

"Not even a little." the blond chuckled, "I don't think. I just do."

"That's why you're in trouble, missy." He looked at her again, and wanted to slam his forehead into his desk. Repeatedly. She looked so...at ease, in a police station after having been brought in with handcuffs. "Fine. Do you want your one phone call right now, or in a few hours?"

"Now would be fine." She tapped the desk in front of her, "But a 'one text message' would be much more reliable. Just suggesting."

"Well, we don't have a messaging plan here. It's all about calls here." He pushed the telephone toward her and leaned back again. "Whenever your ready."

"Alright." She picked it up and dialed Alice. She picked up after the third ring, and sounded frustrated, if the _"WHAT?" _meant anything.

"Hey, Ali-girl!" Rosalie giggled, "They let me have my one call right now! And I chose you! Aren't you special!"

"Have they decided your bail yet?" The blond smiled and crossed her legs, "When can we go get you?"

"I'm assuming now would be good. It's not as much as the last time." Charlie flinched at her words, looking at her in a frustrated way. Of course she would be comfortable here if she'd done it before.

"Alright, we're on our way. Don't do anything stupid until we get there." Alice was about to hang up when her blond sister-in-law whispered something.

"No promises." Alice nearly roared as she hung up. Rosalie just laughed as she hung up the phone and looked at Charlie. "All done. You can take me back to my quarters now, if that makes you feel better."

"Before, you said something about that girl saying things about Bella. What type of things was she saying?" Charlie pulled out a notepad, and a pen. He looked up at her after a minute, and saw her lips were pressed into a hard line. "Is it that upsetting?"

"More upsetting than you'd ever know." Rosalie stood up from her spot and flicked her hair over her shoulder again as best she could as she was handcuffed still. When some of her hair got caught on a metal link, she grunted and hissed, "Can you take these things off me now? I've done nothing but cooperate, and I rather need my hands to be working for the competition."

"Wait, your a surfer?" Charlie looked at the notepad on the desk, and then at the girl's statement. "That means that Alice is a surfer too?"

"Yes. She's the best of our group. We are one of the best groups out there." Rosalie narrowed her blue eyes on the older man. "You have a problem with that?"

"That's something for my daughter and I to talk about at home." He sighed and led the blond back to her holding cell. "Thank you for cooperating."

"Chief, come here." Charlie took a few steps closer to the bars and tried to back up when Rosalie pressed up to the bars, "Just a warning, that's all. Listen, if you get in between Bella and my sister Alice...Let's just say that I won't be happy. Nobody hurts my little sister and gets away with it. They never have."

"Ma'am, are you aware that you are threatening the chief of police in the town of Forks, Washington?" He raised a brow, but he just laughed at him, and backed up.

"No, I'm threatening Charlie Swan of Forks, Washington. You can't hide behind that title forever, chief Swan." She backed away and sat down, burying her face into her hands. Her shoulders shook slightly, and Charlie was almost sure she was laughing at him. Rosalie bit her lip to keep the sobs from leaving her body.

"Rose?" Alice was kneeling next to the bars, hand reaching out for her. The blond stood up and knelt on the other side of the bars, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Ali-cat, I just want out of here. That's all." Rosalie's blue eyes were swollen and red, and she felt like crap. "I'll need to talk to you when we go home."

"Okay. Let me just go talk to Charlie, and pay your bail. Wait here for me, sweetheart." Alice looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Bella, come here and sit with my sister."

"I'm on it." Bella took Alice's place, and Rosalie gripped onto Bella's right arm firmly, "Is something on your mind, Rosalie?"

"Your _father _is on my mind." She hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously, "You never mentioned him not liking surfers."

"Oh...I didn't think it was all that important." Rosalie's grip tightened a fraction, and Bella winced, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mention it because it didn't make a difference to me whether or not my father liked surfers or not. I don't even like most surfers, but I love you guys."

The blond released the girl's arms as if she'd burned her. She curled her hands together and backed away from the bars as far as possible, her back pressed against the far wall. Her hands cupped over her face, and she began to cry again.

"I'm so sorry, Bella...I didn't mean to do that..." She shuddered, sitting down on the cot after a few minutes, "I-I..."

"Don't worry about it, Rosalie." Bella sighed and stood up, "Come here."

The blond looked up in curiosity and shock, but she did as she was told, and soon enough, Bella was hugging her through the bars. "I'm not upset. Nor am I blaming you for anything. I know what you're doing, and I admire you for it."

"What do you think I'm doing?" She muttered into the metal bar closest to her face and sighed, trying to pull away, but Bella had an advantage.

"You want to protect Alice. From everything." The blond stiffened, and sagged into the hug, "I know that it's not ideal...the way things are progressing for Alice and I, since in about two and a half weeks you'll all be leaving...but the way I see it, is that we can either have the best two and a half weeks of our lives and keep great memories...or we can not, and everyone just goes their separate ways now."

"The very idea that you're all leaving...well, it breaks my heart, but I'd rather...have her for two weeks than to not have her at all." Bella sighed, "I know its selfish, and I don't expect you to support it, or understand it, but that's all I have going for me right now."

"You're a very strong person, Bella." Rosalie finally managed to pull away from the brunette, "But is it really better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all?"

"Of course it is." Bella nodded with a smile, "You never know, the love you lost could come back at any time. If you never loved in the first place, then that other person would never have a reason to come back."

"Then...Alice is lucky to have a girl like you." Rosalie chuckled quietly, "Very lucky."

"Thank you." Bella turned when light footsteps sounded behind her. "Ali? How did it go?"

"You threatened the chief of police? Rosalie!" Alice sighed, "He wants to hold you for another day to see if you'll feel sorry for your comments."

"Wait, what?" Bella looked at Rosalie once, and then just laughed. "I hope your threat was vague, and didn't have any key points."

"It had only two key points." The blond winked, "Oh, but I'll hate having to stay here for another day...It smells rotten in here."

"Give me a minute. Ali, stay." Bella touched the pixie's shoulder only once, and they both reacted. Their eyes fluttered for a few split seconds, and blushed. Bella turned and entered her father's office, where Alice had just walked out. She walked in, and Charlie was writing things down on a pad of paper like a mad man. "Dad."

"Bella!" He jumped slightly and just smiled at her. "What can I do for you, baby girl?"

"It's not fair of you to keep Rosie here another day, daddy." Bella crossed her arms and pouted, "I wanted to take her shopping with me and Ali again."

"Bella, she committed a fairly bad offense just a half hour ago...I can't just let her-" Bella slammed her palms down on his desk, making him shut up.

"Daddy, stop it. She's young, and she's only doing what she thinks she has to to protect Alice and the rest of her family." She looked down at Rosalie's statement, and smiled, "And she was only brought in here because she was defending me, if you'd payed attention. Now its time for me to defend her. Give me the keys."

"Bella, please-" Bella sighed, walking around the chair, hugging him tightly.

"Please, daddy? I promise she won't get into any more trouble. I swear." She nuzzled into him, and Charlie let out a big sigh. "Please?"

"Fine." He handed her the keys and raised a brow, "No more trouble from blonde, and you bring my keys back right after you've let her out."

"Thank you, daddy." She kissed his cheek and bolted out the door, gripping the keys tightly in her hands. When the Cullen girls looked at her, she just smiled and walked up to the lock of the cell. She twirled the key on one finger, and swiftly unlocked it. "The perks of being so darn cute."

"How did you-"

"Don't ask questions, Ali! It's time for me to break free!" Rosalie laughed and looked down at her hands sheepishly, "You wouldn't happen to have the keys to these things, would you?"

Bella looked on the key ring and nodded, slipping the little silver key into the holes and unlocking them one by one. When she was free, Rosalie put the cuffs on the desk closest to her and rubbed at her wrists.

"Let me just give him the keys, and then we can leave." Bella jogged back to the office her father practically lived in, and handed him the keys with a smile. He just grumbled something about 'Daughters and their ability to break down even the toughest of dudes'.

Outside of the office, Rosalie was hugging Alice tightly.

"Ali, can I tell you something?" the pixie nodded, and Rosalie sighed into their hug, "That girl there...she's a keeper. I originally didn't want her to hurt you, but now, I don't want you to hurt her, either."

"I would never hurt her on purpose, Rose, you know I wouldn't." Alice pulled away, her golden eyes tearful, "I just...I can't not see her, and then...there's only two weeks until we-"

"All done." Bella said from the office door and she smiled and walked over to the two hugging women. "Did I just miss out on a hug?"

"Nope. Just started it." Rosalie grinned as she yanked the brunette into their hug, "Hooray for three way hugs."

"_Threesome!" _A shout from another cell alerted the three girls to other peoples' presence. It was a cluster of surfer boys stuck in the same cell, all looking at them with lusty eyes. "_Kiss each other!"_

"Ugh. Disgusting." Rosalie flipped them the bird, and then turned to Bella, "See, this is the type of thing your father should dislike. Not gorgeous blonds surfers or adorable raven surfers."

"My father doesn't know what he likes or dislikes. He goes by how much work he has to do for each of the categories. What with all the wild partying and stuff...he tends to go toward dislike." She giggled before pulling the two Cullens with her, and out the door of the police station.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella - Thursday Morning<strong>

"Bella! You have finally decided to come back to work!" Jessica smacked her on the back of the head, "Are you aware of how busy we've been?"

"Jess, we were closed yesterday!" Bella whined, "The hurricane was still here!"

"We were supposed to still be here! We acted as a shelter for backpacking surfers!" She growled before huffing and continuing her job of rolling dough out. "I had to hold the fort down on my own while you were off gallivanting with Alice. How fair is that?"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Bella sighed and rubbed her head, "What needs done right now?"

"Nothing, because I did it all. I wasn't sure if you were going to come in or not today. I kinda figured you not coming into work was your way of quitting." She sounded close to tears, and when Bella looked, sure enough, Jessica was rubbing at her face furiously. "Don't leave work, Bella...I hated working here alone before..."

"I wouldn't quit my job unless something happened that needed my full attention, Jess." Bella hugged her friend, "Don't cry. You're freaking out the surfers."

"You're right...I'm sorry." She laughed through her tears, "God, I hate this job."

"Then you should quit." Bella tapped her fingernails on the counter, "I know that the boss won't have any trouble finding new people. I'd always be your friend, Jess. Even if we didn't see each other as often as we do now."

"Gee, thanks, Bella." She scoffed, "I've worked here for years. I know the menu better than anyone, even the owner of the deli. I've perfected the recipes. Whenever this place gets reconstructed, I was the one who designed it. I've been here through the thick and thin."

"You need a guy, dude." Bella chuckled, "Maybe then you wouldn't be so...incorporated in work. You practically live here. I always show up after you do, and leave before you do."

"A guy would be nice, but-"

The bell rang, and both girls looked up with huge smiles at the person who walked in, "Welcome to SandShack Deli!"

"Yeah, hey...I'm Micheal." He blushed lightly, his freckled cheeks and hazel eyes bright, lingering on Jessica's form and face. _'She's so pretty...'_ "I'm looking for my dad...do you know where he is?"

"Who is your dad?" Bella wanted to laugh out loud. How should they know who this guy's dad is? "What does he look like?"

"AH! THERE YOU ARE MY BOY!" The boss, as drunk as ever, came running out into the open, hugging the boy when he was in arms reach. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! HOW WAS EUROPE?"

"Oh..." Bella blushed, looking over at Jessica.

"_Shit." _Jessica leaned forward, her heart tugging almost painfully in her chest toward this stranger. "He's cute..."

"No! Don't do it, Jess!" Bella joked, grabbing at her in a 'panic'. "He's the son of Satan himself!"

"I don't care, he's hot!" Jessica smiled widely at Micheal and stuck a hand out sweetly, "I'm Jessica Stanley."

"So you're Jessica? Dad's told me so much about you!" He grabbed the offered hand and bent forward, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "And boy was he right about you. You're a beautiful girl."

"T-Thank you." Jessica blushed within an inch of her life, "You're quite handsome yourself."

"Thanks." He winked at her, "Well, I'll definitely be seeing you in a while. I have to go talk to my dad. He wants me to take over the Deli next year. Hopefully...you'll still be here to help me out?"

"There is no place I'd rather be." She giggled, "I live for this place."

"That's good to hear." He nodded sweetly, "It was nice to _finally _meet you, Jessica Stanley."

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Bella giggled as she pushed Alice away from her, phone pressed to her ear, "Oh, hey, Dr. Hart." Alice curled close to the brunette again, blowing soft puffs of air into her ears or neck, her fingers dragging up and down Bella's ticklish sides.<p>

"Ali..." Bella jumped a little when her fingers slid to her waist, and down her hip bones. _'Oh my god...' _"Ali, it's Dr. Hart on the phone, I need to pay attention, pleaseee..."

"Tell her to call back in a whileee..." Alice purred into Bella's ear, "I want you to pay attention to me..."

"Bella, I'm calling about Holmes." Leslie sighed. Of course Alice would be over and distracting Bella. She almost could count on it. Rely on it. "Do you remember what we talked about a few days ago? On Sunday? I told you that he wasn't...responding to the treatments?"

"Alice. Stop." Bella hissed at her friend, who looked hurt. "Holmes is getting worse, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so." Leslie bit her lip and said it as gently as possible, "He's going to have to get surgery, Bella. I don't know...the chances of survival are rather good..but if he doesn't heal from the stitching..."

"I understand. Just...do what you have to for him." Bella gasped, her hand clutching her chest, "T-Thank you."

She hung up quickly, placing the phone down again. She wouldn't throw anything this time. Alice was here with her.

"Ali...I-I could use some time alone." The pixie sighed and stood up, looking down at her best friend. "Please?"

"Bella, I don't want to leave you like this." Alice pushed Bella down on the bed and climbed over her, looking down at her with kind eyes. Loving eyes. "I will stay with you. Comfort you. I won't say anything until you want me to. Is that okay?"

"I want to be alone, Alice." Bella bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes.

"And you will be. Just not physically. I don't think I could ever walk out of here with you crying or hurting." Alice felt that familiar crash in her heart whenever she thought of when she and her family would leave..._two weeks._

"Fine. Have it your way." Bella turned over on her side, away from Alice. The tiny surfer smiled sadly before laying behind her crush...or whatever, and slid her arm over the other girl's waist. She cuddled into her back and sighed aloud.

Maybe twenty minutes of lying there in silence, Alice drifted off to sleep, snoring softly as always. Bella shifted a little and found herself wanting to sleep facing the black-haired girl. She turned over and glazed over her peaceful expression. She was so beautiful.

_'So beautiful...and so thoughtful to stay here when I clearly...wouldn't be the best of company right now.' _Bella brought her hand up and moved a few short locks of the shorter girl's hair back, pressing a light, tender kiss to her forehead. _'I wish she wouldn't leave.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Friday Morning<strong>

"Ali-girl?" Esme was peeking around the corner of Alice's room, cautious that the girl could be either changing or still sleeping. She was, fortunately, doing neither. "Are you busy or sleeping?"

"Nope. Just in here." the woman sighed loudly before walking in with a huge smile, "How was your sleep? Dad didn't snore too loudly again, did he?"

"Oh, you know, he was as quiet as a woman last night." She giggled, covering her mouth, "I woke up at least three times to make sure it was your father in bed with me last night!"

"That's horrible, mother." She chuckled, "So, is something on your mind?"

"Yes...what time did you get home last night? You stayed up rather late..." Esme's green eyes were worried, "You were with Bella, weren't you? I don't know if I'm comfortable with the idea of my baby out all night if you weren't with Bella."

"You know she's the only person even remotely interesting around here, mom. Besides..." Her amber eyes seemed distant, "I think she's the one for me."

"Oh, Alice..." Esme sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her youngest tightly to her side, "I don't want you to get so attached if it'll just hurt for you to leave in the end..."

"W-What if I don't want to leave?" Tearful eyes looked for reassurance. "What if I want to stay?"

"You have every right to stay, baby." The mother kissed the small surfer's crown, "But, you should be sure that is what you want... I wouldn't want you to throw away your career because you love a girl who isn't sure she loves you back."

"Well...I have two weeks." Alice sniffled, "Two weeks to make up my mind. I-I...I'll miss you guys, if I do stay."

"You know we'd never leave you behind, Alice Cullen." Rosalie grinned from the doorway of her bedroom, "Even if I had to tie down the men of this family, we Cullens don't break away from each other, and we certainly don't leave a man behind."

"Thanks, Rosie." The blond sat on the other side of Alice and hugged her, too.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice and Bella and Jacob<strong>

"Cullen. What are you doing here?" Jacob spat as Alice came up to the Swan's house. She just sidestepped him, and opened the door, walking in and shutting it behind her. "WHAT THE HELL?"

Alice just laughed aloud for him to hear, and ran upstairs to lock the bedroom windows. Bella was just waking up to start her day, and jumped when she saw Alice.

"Alice! What? What time is it?" She looked over at the clock and groaned aloud. "Shit, it's late."

"I could have told you that, buttercup." Alice winked over her shoulder, "Jacob is stalking your house."

"Oh god..." She paused, hearing the thundering of Jacob's meaty fists on her front door, "Is that him wailing on my door?"

"Actually...yeah." Bella climbed out of bed, and before Alice realized what she was doing, she was out the bedroom door and down the stairs, standing before the front door. She opened it, and Jacob hadn't realized what was happening, and ended up hitting Bella. On her face.

"JAKE! WHAT THE HELL?" Bella cradled her cheek and winced, "Shit, that hurt!"

"What...Bella?" He seemed to panic then, hands reaching out for the crying girl. "I-I didn't mean to hit you, oh my god...Charlie's going to kill me."

"Not before I do." Alice was there then, kicking Jacob in the crotch as hard as her tiny leg could. He fell down like a mighty oak tree, slamming into the ground with a high pitched whine leaving his lips. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he moaned aloud as he tried his best to not move too much. "That's what you get for hitting Bella. You deserve more, but seeing as how I can't get into trouble anymore, this should do nicely."

She bent down next to him, her arms straining as she lifted him up onto his ass. She grasped the back of his boarding shorts and lifted him up, jaw clenching.

"You weigh a freaking ton, you fat bastard." She managed, barely, to get him to his feet, though he was still stiff from getting kicked in the crotch. "And out you go."

"W-Wait, what?" He stammered, before he was flying out the front door, landing half on the porch, half on the steps. His arms stopped his fall, but the edge of the stairs caught his crotch again, and he shrieked like a dying cat. "B-B-B-Bellaa!"

Alice grinned in satisfaction before slamming the door shut, locking it.

"Are you okay, Bella? Oh god, it's swelling up." She pulled the whimpering girl to the kitchen, sitting her down atop the kitchen table. "Ah..we need ice."

"That wasn't nice, what you did to Jacob." Bella started to blink her right eye over and over again in confusion, "Uh...that could be a problem."

"What? Does your eye hurt?" Alice's eyes hardened, "What's wrong?"

"I kinda can't see out of that eye..." Bella blinked again, trying to focus. "Nope. Still fuzzy."

"I'll kill him..." Alice was already trying to run to the door, but Bella stopped her, "Bella, let me go. He's half blinded you!"

"Ali, I can't see, and my face hurts, and you want to leave me alone to kick Jacob's undeserving ass? Please, it hurts..." Bella whined, "I want ice or something."

"Okay, Bella...but first..." Alice picked up a clean dish rag from a drawer and wet it using cold water, "This should help with the swelling. I don't want to put ice on it, because I am not sure of what it'll do to your eyesight."

Alice brought the rag to the brunette's face, wincing when she flinched.

"Did he hit your temple? Do you remember?" Bella shook her head slightly, "It hurts, though, doesn't it?"

She nodded, and Alice pulled the rag away, standing closer to Bella. She flipped the rag around and pressed it to the tender skin again. It was really swollen, but with hope, it wouldn't bruise. If she had to look at Bella's face bruised for the next two weeks, she'd literally kill that native American bastard.

When she pulled it off once again, she looked at Bella's sorry expression and sighed, leaning forward and pressing her lips as softly as possible to the swollen area of Bella's cheekbone. Bella sighed and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Alice's hips and pulling her closer.

Alice pulled her lips back and placed them down again on the girl's temple, lingering there for a few more seconds. She once again, pulled back and pressed them to the hurt girl's cheek, her lips barely grazing the corner of her lips.

She pulled back entirely and went to wet the rag again.

"Bella," the pixie turned to look at her friend and catch her attention, to find that she always had her attention. She hadn't looked away from Alice for even a second. "I have to go practice at the beach today. I've put it off for a few days because you're just so darn distracting."

"I'm sorry...for being so distracting." Bella chuckled, wiping at her uninjured eye, "God, it hurts...I've taken fists to the face before, but..."

"You've gotten hit before?" Alice nearly dropped the rag in her hand, but managed to not fumble it. She walked over again and pressed it to the girl's face, "Why?"

"Well, when I was younger, one of my mother's colleague's kids were in class with me. They heard their parents talking, and then relayed it all to the kids in class and my teacher." She bit her lip, "They started calling me a freak child from a freak mother. That nothing good could ever come out of a girl who wanted to be a boy."

"That was when we were young. They only poked fun, then." Bella touched the end of one of her chestnut locks, closing her eyes. "When we got a little older, and got to the age where violence solved all problems, they started taking their ignorance out on me. My mother came to Career Day, and she's a doctor. She's a professional artificial inseminator."

"They started calling my mother a witch, and saying that she gives babies to people who don't deserve them. My mother was only helping infertile couples have children. All of the people who went to my mother for treatment were so happy...so grateful, for her service."

"Little did they realize...that she helped 'create' a fourth of my classmates." She laughed, "So that was more for them to beat up on me for. My mom...she actually had to move me from school to school because of the fighting. Finally, I ended up at a sort of private school. They didn't ask questions. The kids didn't ask questions. It was perfect."

"I didn't get beat up then." The brunette smiled, but turned that upside down when Alice started to cry. "What's wrong? Did I say something bad?"

"No, no..." She threw her arms around the brunette and kissed her shoulder, "I was 'created'. If you noticed...I don't have eyes like either my father or mother. My hair is a distant gene from my mother's side. They don't know where I got my eye color from."

"What about Emmett?" Bella asked as the surfer pulled back, "He's got dark hair like you."

"He has blue eyes, last time I checked." She paused, "There were times where I doubted who I was as a child...but then my mother and father would pull me aside and explain things to me."

"My mother wanted a little girl so badly, and my father had only ever been able to give her boys...so they went the medical route and 'poof'! There I was, eight months and six pounds later!" She giggled, "I was a big baby, but I don't think I've grown since then."

"I don't agree." Bella's fingers timidly went from the shorter girl's shoulders, down her sides, dragging her shirt a little with those fingers. When she got to her hips, Alice bit her lip and leaned forward, her hips coming forward against the table, jarring the both of them. _'Shit...' _"You're pretty grown up, if I can trust my observations."

"You're right." She leaned forward a little, her heart hammering in her chest. Her palms began to sweat, and she swallowed as quietly as possible. "I certainly don't feel so little anymore..."

Alice closed her eyes as Bella did, the brunette's fingers grazing upward now, slowly. The longer it took for her to reach her destination, the more it took for Alice to keep herself from climbing up on the table with her and forcing her down.

When Bella's fingers caressed her ribs, she shivered in pleasure. Goosebumps rose along her arms, stomach and legs, and she felt her mind go a little hazy. The instant Bella's fingers slightly brushed just underneath Alice's bra, a cell phone rang, making the both of them jump and fly apart. The pixie just looked at her friend under her dark lashes and rubbed her hands up her arms to rid her skin of the bumps.

The cell phone that caused the interruption was sitting on the counter of the kitchen, and Bella sighed. It had to be her phone, right? Alice snatched it and handed it to Bella without looking at the caller I.D. She wanted to respect her friend's privacy and mind her own business.

"Hello?" Bella answered pleasantly, though her body language would argue otherwise. "Oh, what a surprise to be hearing from you right now. Didn't think I ever would again."

"Bella, is that Jacob?" Alice asked a little loudly, and Bella shook her head.

"Yeah, that was Alice." Bella's fingers tightened on the plastic item in her hand and ran her free hand through her hair, "It's none of your business. It stopped being your business when you were making out with that...Victoria, at the club. Yeah, I'm not blind. I saw it."

"I don't think that's very fair, Louis." Bella spoke neutrally, not putting too much emotion into their conversation. "No, I'm not going to give you another try. No."

"No, _you _don't get it. I'm done trying to make this work. You've done nothing but attempt to alienate me from people, you hate on my friends, and your disrespectful." Bella snorted, "There is no way in hell I'd..."

"Fine. Pick a day. One day. After that, it's over." Alice's jaw dropped at her friend's words. She was going to meet up with her _again_? "Yeah. That's fine. Don't get your hopes up, though. I'm firm in my decision to break up with you. You're just putting off the inevitable."

"Yeah, I doubt that very much. Yeah, you too. Bye." Bella hung up the phone, only for Alice to take it away from her with that cobra strike of hers. "Alice?"

"What..what was that?" She looked wounded, as if the brunette had just kicked her in the stomach. "Why would you agree to meet up with her again? After all that's happened? After all we've... That isn't fair, Bella."

"Ali, calm down." Bella got off the table and cornered Alice by the kitchen counter, trapping her with her arms and leaning her head down to look into tearful amber orbs. "Hey. Look at me."

"No. I don't want to." The tiny surfer looked down at her shoes and crossed her arms over her chest, "Leave me alone."

"Ali-cat." Alice _almost _looked up at that, but was stubborn and refused to look up. Bella chewed the inside of her cheek as she thought of another name. _'Come on, Swan, think of something mushy and gooey! She'd love that!'_ "Ali-baby, look at me."

Alice's eyes shot up at that, her cheeks dusting a dark rosy pink. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips parted as she took breath after breath.

Bella reached up to touch the side of the pixie's head, letting her fingers brush through the soft, straight locks of black hair. She brought her lips to that cute forehead and lingered for a second. Instantly, a pair of tiny arms encircled her waist, crushing her to the small body attached to those arms.

"Please don't be upset..." The brunette muttered against her forehead, her nose nuzzling into her hairline. "The only reason I agreed to it was because..."

She pulled her head away to look down at a completely smitten Alice. She tilted her head in curiosity, and Bella was only able to chuckle quietly, pressing another kiss to her forehead.

"I'm not the type to break up over a phone call or text message. Especially when we got together in person." She sighed, and pulled the girl closer to her. "Do you understand?"

A nod against her chest was enough.

"When...when did she want to meet with you?" Alice whispered, not wanting to break the moment with yelling or screaming or even normal inside voice talking.

"Next Friday. After the competition." Her arms tightened a fraction, "That way I'll still be able to cheer you on. Does that sound good to you?"

The small surfer sighed, shaking her head. "I don't want you to see her at all. Much less after a surfing day. Who will be with me at the after event?"

"I'll only be with her for an hour at the most. Does that sound better?" Bella chuckled when the pixie once again shook her head. "What would make you feel better?"

"Meet with her at the after event. When you break it off with her, I can steal you away." Bella bit her lip. _'You've already stolen me away, Alice Cullen.' _The shorter girl shifted a little, "How about that?"

"That sounds good." The brunette pulled away from the surfer and smiled. "Now, I don't know about you, but I could use a few painkillers and a nap."

"I could go for a nap, too." She giggled, "You didn't even make it into day clothes before all this stuff started happening."

"Huh?" Bella glanced down at herself and blushed darkly. "A-Alice! Why did you let me run downstairs in my underwear?"

"Well, I wasn't exactly complaining about the view." She winked, a light blush once again dusting her cheeks. "And now its a good thing I didn't tell you anything. Because now, you can just climb into bed."

"Ugh. Silly surfer." Bella took the shorter girl by the hand and led her upstairs, blushing a storm when she could practically _feel _Alice's eyes on her ass. Thank _GOD _she wore black lace panties. If she'd worn granny panties, she would have surely driven the girl off.

"Ugh. Silly main lander." The brunette paused and stopped, turning to look back at her trailing friend. _Geez, is she my friend or not? Friends don't do the shit we do. _"What?"

"Main lander?" She raised a brow, and the pixie giggled.

"I had to call you something. You call me surfer sometimes...so I have to think of something equally witty and true to call you." She put a finger on her lower lip, "I should keep looking for a name. I'll be trying some out every once in a while. Just bear with me."

"I'll try." Bella just rolled her eyes and walked the rest of the way up the stairs. When they reached her bedroom, she dropped the other girl's hand and spoke over her shoulder, "Close the door?"

Alice nodded to herself and shut the door. She turned around just to see the room go dark. "Whoa, it got really dark really fast!"

"The beauty of having really dark, really thick curtains." Bella chuckled, feeling her way over to the bed. "My cheek doesn't hurt that bad anymore."

"That's good..." Alice gulped quietly, "Bella?"

"Yeah?" She could hear the slight squeaks of the mattress as the other girl was probably climbing into it. "Are you coming or not?"

"Oh..." _'God, if she keeps this up, I will be...' _"Yeah, give me a sec."

Alice kicked her shoes off, followed by her socks. She shrugged off the over shirt she was wearing, and thought about something for a second. "Bella, would you be uncomfortable if I took my pants off?"

"Do what you need to be comfortable." Bella sighed, the mattress squeaking underneath her as she shifted. "Just get in here."

Alice didn't need to be told twice. She unbuttoned her pants and kicked them off as quickly and quietly as she could before dropping them onto her shoes and shirt. She felt around in the dark, her hand coming into contact with the cool comforter. She pulled it back, and climbed in one foot after the other. When she was going to search for Bella, two already searching arms grabbed her, pulling her over to the other side of the bed, where the brunette was cuddled up.

"Took you long enough. I was starting to wonder." Alice was going to reply, but a cool thigh pressed between her own, and she bit her lip quickly to stifle the moan that was coming up to leave her mouth. A nose nuzzled into her neck, and she felt her legs begin to quiver. _'Oh lord...' _"Are you cold? You're shivering."

_'Ha! As if she doesn't know what she's doing to me! Oh, that conniving little fox!' _Alice thought as she tried to stop her shaking. Her breath came out in small pants, and she tried to stop breathing altogether. Bella shifted, her thigh gently bumping against Alice's crotch, and the girl couldn't keep the noise down this time.

"Bella!" Alice moaned aloud, her head pressing against the pillow as her chest thrust forward, catching the other girl off guard. "Oh, oh..." She whimpered and her arms automatically searched for support. She grasped the taller girl's shoulders and pulled closer to her.

When Bella pulled away abruptly, Alice's heart fell to her stomach and beyond.

She sat up and didn't bother trying to come up with excuses. What could she have said?

'Hey, sorry about that. You just turn me on so much, and...?' or 'Sorry, I just...?'

Yeah, no. That wouldn't go down well, even with all the flirting and touching and giggling they'd been doing together. Normally Alice wouldn't care, but she didn't just want Bella for a single night. No. She wanted her for longer. But what do you say about something like this? How do you begin to apologize for something of this magnitude?

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she climbed out of bed and bit her lip to keep from crying out loud. She didn't want Bella to hear how this was tearing her up. Why put the girl through something like that?

She tripped over her pants on the floor and pulled them on as quickly as possible. She didn't know if they were inside out or not, but at that moment, she didn't really care. She just needed to be covered up.

When they were up and she didn't bother to button them up, she yanked her shirt on and took her shoes off the floor, ditching the socks. She stood by the door for a moment, hearing the labored breathing of the other girl on the bed. Small gasps could be heard, and the surfer assumed that the brunette was either crying, or about to start crying.

She opened the bedroom door and closed it as gently as she could in her haste, practically flying down the stairs. She grabbed her sling bag and ran out to her car, not looking back. She needed time to come up with something. An excuse. An apology. Or a reason for her actions. She turned her car on and drove off quickly.

Back on the bed, Bella clutched at her chest and whimpered. She clumsily reached for her nightstand and felt for her inhaler. Not there. _Shit. _

Where had she put it?

She leaned down over the edge of the bed for her bag, pulling it up onto her lap. She finally found her little lifesaver, and shook it. There was no noise.

She yanked the cap off of it and put the end between her lips, pressing down the trigger button. It gave a little less than half a puff, before it gave no more. She was out.

_'No, no...this is bad!' _She gasped again, throwing the inhaler across the room. She yanked her drawer open and felt around for another one, only to come up nearly empty handed. It was her life-alert button. Her mother had insisted that she get one and leave it at her bedside for emergencies. _'There has to be another one somewhere!' _

Her chest seemed to close in on itself, and she gasped louder. She opened her mouth to attempt to bring more air into her lungs. More precious air. But it wasn't working.

_'I just had to seduce Alice and have a freaking asthma attack when things got too hot, right?' _She internally cursed herself, beginning to panic. She pressed down on her emergency button a couple of times before she felt light headed. She pressed it again and again until she'd counted that she'd pressed it over ten times.

She leaned back against the headboard and was going to let her version of nature take its course. She was going to black out. She just had to freak Alice out, right? If the girl was still with her, she would have been on her way to the hospital by now.

As her eyes slid shut, a pain filled her chest as her lungs tried to process what little air there was left in her body.

* * *

><p><strong>Gasp! Bella's in trouble! What happens next? Will Alice come back to save her in time (and preferably apologize for ruining such a good shot at hot bellice-y smut.) And now, in comes Micheal. NO, not MIKE NEWTON! (Mike the newt doesn't want Jessica, and I probably haven't even mentioned him much.) And they are steadily falling more and more in love, even though they fight it.<strong>

**Namaste!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Namaste! **

**Reminder... Bella is twenty. **

**And the origin of Holmes' name is... Sherlock Holmes. See, as a puppy, he was inquisitive, and at the time Bella had been reading the Sherlock Holmes books. So, she named him after her favorite instigating investigator. Watson the cat was also named accordingly by Bella's mother. **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Alice? What happened?" Rosalie met her sister at the door with a frown on her face, "And why do you look like shit?"

"I-I did a bad thing." The youngest Cullen stammered, "Bella and I...we've been getting too comfortable around each other, and I thought it wouldn't be too much to lay in bed with her in our underwear, so we were just there and-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" The blond held her hands up quickly, silencing her, "You say that you and Bella were lying in a bed in your underwear together?"

The pixie nodded in a frenzy, "We did!"

"And you think that's a bad thing?" Blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "Ali, you dog!"

"Wait! No!" Alice shouted, "She freaked out when...well, it was in a way her fault, but-"

"What was her fault?" The taller girl just chuckled, hugging her frazzled sister, "Explain to me."

"I-We, she..." The tiny surfer bit her lip, "We were lying there, and she put her thigh between mine, and then she-"

"She moved, right?" Alice nodded a little before blushing. Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Seriously, Ali, haven't you had sex before? On previous tours?"

"I-I never felt like that before." She sighed, "I want this with Bella, but I don't want to at the same time..."

"Well, what happened to make you both stop? Or what made Bella freak out?" Rosalie led her sister to the porch swing and sat her down, taking a seat next to her, slinging an arm around her frail shoulders.

"She pressed against me, and I made loud noises and clung to her. I-I wanted more. It felt so good, Rosie." Alice leaned her head back, "But then she froze up, and almost fell of the bed at the speed she'd used to get away from me."

"Did you ever think that maybe she was trying to calm herself down?" The blond chuckled, "She probably was really excited, Ali."

"She didn't make a move to stop me from leaving. So your claim makes no sense." The shorter girl leaned forward and balanced her head on her wrists, her elbows resting on her knees. "Though, I know for a fact that she knew what she was doing. I mean, how did all this stuff happen? First the thing with Jacob Black, and then this."

"What happened with Jacob Black?" Blue eyes narrowed as they took in angry golden ones.

"He was really mad that I went into Bella's house and locked the door behind me, so he was being the big bad wolf trying to knock it down, and Bella came down in a rush to stop him from breaking the door in half, and well...he didn't realize that she was going to open the door, and he hit her pretty hard on her face. It swelled up and everything. She couldn't see normally through the eye on that side of her face, either."

"And you didn't think to take her to the hospital?" Rosalie stood up, hands on her hips, "Mary Alice Cullen!"

"I-I...hadn't thought about it." She blushed, "Then all that touching started happening..."

"You need to go back and take her to the hospi-" The blond sister was interrupted when Alice's cell started ringing. It was her father. "Is that dad? If it is, you should answer it."

She flipped it open and spoke normally.

"Hello?"

"Alice? Where are you?"

"Just got home...why?"

"Well, I'm here at the local hospital to help out a surgeon, and low and behold, Bella Swan is wheeled in unconscious. Do you know what happened?"

"No...when I left, she was just-" _'Those gasps...gasping! Oh my god!' _"Was it an asthma attack?"

"That, and it looks like someone wailed on her pretty hard, her face is a little swollen. Do you know anything about this?" Carlisle seemed to be able to tell when his children were involved. Call it a gift. "And don't you lie to me, Mary Alice."

"I left her house ten minutes ago...I didn't realize...I..." Alice began to cry, dropping her phone on the ground.

"Alice? Alice?" Rosalie bent over to swipe it off the ground.

"Hey, Dad." Blue eyes stayed trained on her sister's golden ones. "We're on our way."

"Alright." He hung up, and Alice just placed her fists over her temples, trying her best to keep from ripping her hair out. She had mistakenly put Bella in danger. She hadn't said a word to Bella before leaving...she had been suffering while she ran away like the coward she was.

"Let's go. He's waiting for us. And, chances are, she's probably awake." Rosalie pushed her sister toward her car, "You'll want to talk your issues out, I'm sure."

* * *

><p>"What's the matter, Ali-cat?" Emmett asked as he paddled up next to his baby sister. "Having more wetdaydreams about Bella-bear?"<p>

"Not really..." the pixie sighed as she wiggled her toes in the near freezing water, "I'm just worried that every time I leave her alone...she ends up getting hurt. She could have..."

"Could have, but didn't." Emmett wrinkled his nose, "You're thinking too much, sissy."

"You don't think nearly enough!" Alice chuckled, shoving him a little. His size only made her get pushed a few inches away. "God dang it, I'm a fucking surfer!"

"Hells yeah!" The brawny boy pumped his fists in the air, "It's all about the waves, girl!"

"Then...why the hell am I acting like this? It's been a roller coaster since we came here." She bent forward into a near child pose, her forehead resting on her surf board, "Life shouldn't be this hard. Why is it so hard, Emmy?"

"I don't know, but you know what?" He reached over and hugged her closer to his board, "It might be hard, but usually the things that make you happy in the end have to be. You have to fight for what you want. Nothing like that is ever easy."

"I think I understand what you mean." The tiny surfer sat up, looking at him, "You look like a vampire in this lighting, Emmy."

"You too, golden girl." He winked, "And if you didn't really get what I told you earlier, let me give you an example. Life is like surfing."

_'Oh, this is going to be good.' _

"When we first see something we want, like when you were four and wanted to ride the waves like those older girls, you had to work for it, right? You had to fall down to learn how to balance on the board, you had to strengthen your body to be able to paddle out to the waves, too. But before you did any of that, you had to learn to swim first. Ya know, to keep yourself from drowning. Life..is a lot like that."

"So what your saying is, baby steps?" She raised a brow at her brother, and he grinned and nodded. "Baby steps...is what I need to do?"

"Yep. Because if you just jump in without knowing what to do, you'll fall on your ass. Or drown. Either one." He looked over his shoulder and hooted, "The waves are cresting! Let's get some!"

"I never knew you to be so wise, Emmy." She laughed at her brother, who just flipped her the finger and paddled over to ride the shoulder of the wave. She looked up at the moon and smiled. It was beautiful out here at night.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice - Sunday Morning<strong>

"Hey, Bella, I was wondering if I could come over this morning?" Alice tapped her foot on the wooden floor of her bedroom as she waited for a response. "Oh? Why not?"

_"Holmes just got home from his surgery, and I have to go to work, so Dad is staying home with Leslie to take care of him. You could come over, but I won't be here. I'm sorry!" _Bella seemed distracted, and Alice couldn't help but relate her distraction to what had transpired the day before yesterday. She hadn't seen Bella yesterday at all because Holmes was coming home and she said she hadn't had time to entertain her. _"Maybe tomorrow? Ah, I have to go! I'm late!"_

Without waiting for Alice to say goodbye, Bella hung up and left the pixie speechless.

_'Okay, what the hell?' _The tiny surfer grabbed her car keys. She wasn't getting ignored today. She was going to pollute the Deli until she payed a semblance of attention to her!

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Hey, did I miss a memo or something?" Bella crossed her arms over her chest with a huge grin plastered on her face. "He's wearing my apron."

"Bella!" Jessica smiled at her friend before running around the counter to hug her. "How are you? I heard that you were in the hospital the other day?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't anything really serious." Jessica's fingers lightly grazed on Bella's slightly discolored cheek and she sighed. "Like I said, nothing really serious."

"That looks pretty serious, Bella." Concerned brown eyes were glued to her, "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty top shape right now." She looked to where Micheal was standing there smiling. "He's certainly grown on you, hasn't he?"

"He has." She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, "I really like him. We have a date tonight after the deli closes."

"Well, congrats." Bella's lips pulled back a little further, "That's a big step for you, isn't it?"

"Shut up, it is." Jessica flicked her loose hair over her shoulder the way Rosalie always seemed to do. "So what's your week looking like? Going to watch the competition?"

"Uh, I was going to ask about that, see-" Bella was interrupted by a familiar, butterfly-inducing voice talking over her.

"She's going to support my family and myself." Alice grinned from where she stood, hands akimbo. "I'm a little embarrassed that she hasn't asked for those days off yet."

"Oh, that was never an issue, Alice!" Jessica winked, "The deli is closed for the entirety of the competition."

"Really? That's great!" Golden eyes narrowed at nervous chocolates, "Now there is no excuse for Bella to not attend and represent us."

"Ali, please-"

"No, Bella." Alice hissed quietly, "I'm already up to here," She brought her hands up over her head, "with being ignored and you coming up with excuses for me to not see you!"

"I don't give excuses!" The brunette hissed back, "Holmes is healing! He just got home yesterday, what do you expect? You want me to drop him and just run off with you? It doesn't work that way! I have a job, too! I have to actually work to keep my dog fed!"

"It wouldn't be impossible if you would just let me drop by the house or something! I could even help you then! But no, you just want to do it all by yourself, right? Because you don't need anyone? Is that it?" Alice's eyes were molten gold, fiery and passionate. "As for the working part, you know I am just dying to help with anything I can, but you always...! ugh! You know the deli would give you the day off if you'd ask for it!"

"I don't want to ask for days off, and I don't need your help!" Bella snapped, "Not everything is about living free without responsibility, Alice! Not everyone likes living that way! If you want someone as carefree and totally awesome, then go look elsewhere!"

Alice's jaw dropped at her best friend's words. Where was all of this coming from? She didn't live carefree without responsibility at all!

"Is that what you really think? You think that of me and my family? Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Edward and Jasper? You think that we...you made us sound like a bunch of fucking hippies! Are you aware? Or are you still loopy off the shit they gave you at the hospital?" Alice turned red in the face, her hands tight at her sides to keep from hitting anyone and anything. "Well, if that's what you honestly think, then..."

She didn't bother finishing her sentence. She spun around on her heels and stormed out of the deli, Edward looking frightened behind her, but following her nonetheless.

"Bella, what the hell was that?" Jessica crossed her arms over her chest, "Are you aware that you just broke your best friend's heart?"

"I think it's for the best." She looked over at Micheal, who looked so sad. Just looking at him, she knew he would give her a hard time. "You know...this place looks good with a boy and a girl. Kind of like a mom and dad. These surfers need that type of thing..."

"No, Bella, wait!" Jessica tried to stop the girl, who just sidestepped her and smiled, "Please wait."

"I...I have to go home and...take care of Holmes. I'll call you in a while." The brunette turned on her heel much like Alice had, and left the deli without another word spoken. She climbed into her truck and drove home, crying near her death when she parked in her driveway.

Charlie, who had seen most of his daughter's break down, reached for the house phone and dialed a number he knew could help.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"The nerve of that girl!" Alice slammed her fists against the punching bag at the teeny tiny gym in town. "How-how could she say things like that to me? To _me?_"

"You ever stop to think of what she might be going through, Ali?" Jasper panted as he tried to keep up with his sister, "I mean, her dog just got back from surgery. I heard that the dog was her best friend since she got him at four weeks old..."

"That gives her no excuse to talk to me like that! I never took shots like that at her!" She struck the bag again and hissed, the skin of her knuckles tearing. "Shit. Now I have to get this wrapped."

"There you are!" Emmett gasped as he stopped in front of his siblings, "What happened, Alice? I've heard things the past hour that just throw me for a loop! What the hell, kid?"

"Well, what did you hear?" Alice grit her teeth as she tore at the bag again, "Anything remotely interesting?"

"I heard from Jessica that you and Bella got into a word-fight and-" Alice interrupted him here.

"Argument. Not a word-fight." she motioned for him with one fist, "Keep talking."

"and that you two said some hurtful things to each other. Then, Rosalie got a call from Dr. Hart that Holmes had to go back to the E.R. Because he started flat-lining-"

"WHAT?" Alice spun around quickly, fear in her eyes, "What do you mean by flat-lining? Is that a word you made up or are you using the actual medical term for..."

"He's dying, Ali." Alice slowly sunk down into a bench and looked at the ground, unseeing. "The doctor said...that he's probably got until morning. She tried getting to you so you could help Bella get through it, but she assumed something happened if Bella came home crying already..."

"What else did you hear?" She whispered softly, her eyes tearing up quickly. "Please hurry up."

"Jessica said that Bella quit...shortly after you left. Rosie and I, we have a theory..." _'Oh god...when Emmett is using big words, its usually serious...' _Alice shuddered, and jumped when Edward ran into the little gym.

She looked at her older brother and took in his sweating and pained expression. He was the poster child for pity right at that moment. Oh God.

"Please don't tell me. Don't fucking tell me!" Alice stood up shakily and backed up, her knees knocking into the bench. "Don't say it. It'll ruin me!"

"Rosalie's already on her way here to-" Edward looked over at Jasper when Alice shouted at him again. "Please, Alice."

"Already? Why couldn't he just..." Alice's hands went to her eyes as she threw herself onto her big bear of a brother, "He just...Bella will...Oh my god..."

"Alice, do you remember what I told you?" Emmett whispered into her ear, "Do you?"

She nodded slowly, "Baby steps."

"That's right." He stood up, hugging her tightly. She almost disappeared in his arms and his shoulders shook because of all the excess heartache that seemed to have clouded over them in this small town. "S-She's going to need you to be strong, Ali. She's going to lose it, just for a minute, and when that happens, you need to be her life jacket. Her flashlight in the dark tunnel."

"You know something sad?" the pixie muttered to her siblings, "We talked about almost everything together. Anything and everything. The weather. Clothes. Our pasts. Family. Futures. Surfing. Our love of crappy movies and equally crappy novels. Food. Places we've been... But we never talked about Holmes. I don't even know how old he is. Or when she got him. How she felt when she first held him. Or the first time she gave him a bath..."

She started to cry harder, "I didn't know anything like that, and I...I had...she was right. I had wanted her to just forget about him and spend time with me. I was selfish when he was alive, and I'm just as selfish now. She was his mommy, and I..."

A soft hand on her shoulder made her look up, and blue eyes tried to convey just how sorry she felt for the two...no, three, of them.

"Let's go. Charlie's waiting for us at his house."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

'How am I supposed to feel right now? Am I supposed to feel...horrified? Sad? Lonely? What about angry? Should I feel angry at the person who was supposed to help Holmes get better? Or should I feel angry at Alice for keeping me from doing my job as Holmes' caretaker? No...it wasn't her fault. It was mine.'

'I let myself get distracted by that little pixie. That beautiful girl that would be leaving me and my memory behind in just two weeks time. How could I let this get out of control? When I first adopted Holmes, I swore that I would always put him first. That he would be who I woke up to in the morning and fell asleep with at night. He was a little scrap of fur when I first met him. Where is he now?'

'He's probably on a metal table with tubes sticking out of him and a machine strapped to him, telling any and all that his heart is no longer working. That his ears hear nothing. That his eyes...his lovable, tender blue eyes, see nothing. His feet will no longer tread dirt and grass and concrete or carpet. His tail, that fluffy, soft tail will no longer curl in excitement, or wag in happiness.'

'The only thing I could count on right now...is that he isn't in pain any more. That he's in the heaven for dogs. He's probably playing poker with all of my other pets before him that died while I was on my forced vacations to Forks.'

'Where is Alice? Oh right. We fought today. I tried to cast her from my life, for my own sake. I hadn't even thought of her when I did it. I just didn't want to hurt when she left. I didn't want to ask myself the 'what ifs' or the 'whys' that people tended to ask. I just wanted to move to Forks to let my mother have free reign on her life. I didn't want Holmes to die of a horrible disease. I didn't want my heart to go to someone who would probably hurt me accidentally, and leave with the next tide. And I certainly didn't want to end up questioning the life I had been living before.'

'That's where I am now. Even though I had said fairly bad things to Alice, and I knew she was mad at me...I couldn't help but want her here with me. I wanted her to hold onto me tightly, and say that she would be here for me. That she would whisper in my ears that she adored me, and would love me in place of Holmes.'

'But that was wrong. I could dream of that...but I would never let it happen. I know that my dreams are fairly still attainable...but Alice...I wanted her to be part of my dreams. I wanted her to be the one with me, to hold my hand, when it all came true.'

'Where is Alice?'

"Where is Alice?" Confused light brown eyes locked on the face in the mirror, tears still streaming down discolored cheeks, "I want Alice!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

When the Cullen Five showed up to the Swan's house, Alice was the first one out of Rosalie's car. Hell, the car barely had enough time to register the brakes that Rosalie had slammed down on when Alice bolted.

"Alice!" Rosalie snarled behind her, but she didn't listen. She didn't bother. She'd done it a thousand times. She barely felt her feet hit the ground as she ran up the small steps and to the door. She wasn't sure if she should knock or just burst in like she owned the place, so she jogged in place, her feet coming up as if she were standing on red coals.

She knocked a few times, hastily, before she grew even more impatient and threw the door open, nearly catching Charlie in the face. She sprinted past him and up the stairs. She tripped on one before she caught herself on the hand rail. Thank god for those, huh?

When she reached the plain, undecorated door of her best friend's bedroom, she paused, trying to come up with the words that she would need. The words that would make all the pain go away. The words that could fill the space of an apology that needed to be said.

A crash from inside the room made the tiny surfer forgo the apologies and loving words, and she pushed the door open in time to see Bella grab at a glass photo frame and throw it against the mirror of her vanity table.

Bella grabbed another and slammed it against her bedside table, the shards too dangerously sharp and close to the mourning brunette for the pixie's liking.

"Bella!" The tall girl spun around in pained shock, her eyes locking on the little surfer as her forehead wrinkled. "Bella, I'm here! Please don't."

"Alice? Are you really here?" Once again, she tried to find the words that would make this all go away...turn back time to a splinter where things were better. When they were happier. Where things made sense. "You're not really here..."

She picked up another frame and smashed it on top of the first one. Somehow, her hand wasn't getting sliced to bits by breaking the glass. But the noise was loud enough to bring Alice back to reality. Bella was losing it, just like Emmett said she would.

"Bella, stop breaking things!" She ran over to where the girl was still crying helplessly, and threw her down on the bed. She tried to get up, but it proved useless when Alice jumped on top of her and pinned her hands down, her worried face inches away from Bella's heartbroken one. "Bella."

"Alice?" The pixie released her friend's hands and placed her own on either side of Bella's face, making her look into her eyes. "It's you, Alice."

"That's right, Bells. It's me." She leaned in and pressed her lips to Bella's still wrinkled forehead while running her fingers through her soft chestnut hair, "It's me. I'm here. Right here with you. Come back to me, sweetheart..."

"Ali, you were upset at me...right?" Bella hiccuped, "I'm sorry...for what I said before. I didn't mean a word of it. You know that, don't you?"

"Can you tell me why you said those things?" Alice coaxed gently. She didn't want the girl to clam up just yet. She wanted to know exactly why she said the things she'd said.

"I...I wanted to get you to leave me alone." the brunette whimpered quietly, "I wanted you to forget about me. There was so much going on at that moment when you showed up at the deli and I was talking to Jessica...I wanted to concentrate on work. I didn't want to worry about you or Holmes. He was sick and on the verge of dying...and then the whole thing with you wanting to spend time with me more..."

"I'm sorry about the way things turned out, Bella." Alice sighed and rolled to her side, pulling the girl to roll along with her. "I was being selfish. I hadn't thought of Holmes at all..."

"There was another reason I wanted to get you to dislike me." Bella cuddled closer to the surfer and started to cry softly once again. "It's come up over and over for the past few days you've been here. I just always...push the subject away because I'm afraid of what you'll say, or what will happen afterward."

"We don't have to talk about it now...if you aren't ready." the pixie pulled the girl tighter to her chest, "I don't think I want to talk about it...at this moment. You're hurting enough as it is about Holmes...I think we should save that conversation for another day, sweetheart. Do you agree?"

Bella nodded against her chest.

"Just rest now, Bella." Alice whispered as she ran her free hand through Bella's long, chestnut hair. It was so soft.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice <strong>

"She's asleep, chief." Alice sighed as she plopped down onto a free space on the sofa. Her brothers were sprawled out on the floor, and Rosalie was sitting properly on the other side of the sofa. Leslie and Charlie were sharing the recliner comfortably, as if they'd been doing it for years instead of months. "And I've already taken the liberty of cleaning up the broken glass and taking out anything else that's...breakable."

"That's good. I was a little worried when the crashing stopped...but since you got here, I was assured that you would be able to calm her down." Leslie smiled kindly at Alice as her boyfriend spoke to the young woman. "She's taking it a little hard..."

"Of course she's taking it hard, Charlie." His girlfriend frowned at him, "She's had him for six years now. People can't even stand to be married for that long."

"Holmes was six years old? Holy crap!" Emmett grinned, "How old is that in dog years?"

"I don't know..." Rosalie sighed, "But it wasn't just the dog dying that has her so hung."

"What do you mean?" Charlie raised a brow, "Because whatever you say is news to me."

"Alright." The blond sat up a little further on her seat and clasped her fingers together. "How do you feel about gays and lesbians?"

"By the way, watch what you say." Emmett sat back on his wrists, legs sprawled out in front of him, "We have a gay couple in this room."

"Err...I suppose...to each his own. If that's how you love, then, that's how you love." He smiled genuinely, "My ex-wife is having a sex change...and to be honest, I was so not cool with it at first...but after a while, I was happy for her. If it makes her happy, she should be able to do what she wants with her life, right? I'm just happy that we have Bella. She completes our lives."

"Awww, look he's blushing!" Emmett cackled, Jasper hitting him over the head since his sister wasn't anywhere close enough to do it. "Ow."

"Thanks." Rosalie saluted Jasper, who winked at her.

"So, what does the gay and lesbian question mean?" The oldest man thought it over, and then sat back, snapping his eyes over to Alice, who had her face buried in her hands. "Oh."

"Yeah." Edward sniggered, "Oh."

"Charlie," Alice stood up and stood before Bella's father before dropping onto her knees in front of him, "I love your daughter. I honestly do. But, nothing has happened. I swear."

"Depends on your definition of 'nothing', Ali." Rosalie guffawed at Alice's brick red expression, golden eyes terrified. "Oh, you're just embarrassed that I've said that in front of her father, huh?"

"Rosie, that's not nice." Emmett crossed his arms over his massive chest. "You shouldn't tease her like that."

"Be quiet." She grinned at him, and he just pouted. "That's what I thought."

"Okay...so you love my daughter..." He just looked at his girlfriend, who nudged him. "Have you told _her_?"

"Uh..no." Alice blushed. "I kinda wanted to do something romantic or something. Like, telling her after serenading her over the span of the competition days and after events. You know, things that lead up to that type of thing? I've never said anything like that to anyone, and if I wanted to say it, I would want to do it right."

"That makes perfect sense." Leslie smiled, "Some people should take notes."

"Hey, I'm trying here." Charlie chuckled, wrapping his arms around the woman's slender waist. "Not my fault I sound like a seal or walrus when trying to sing."

He turned his eyes to the clearly still tormented Alice Cullen.

"I've go no problem with you falling in love with her, little surfer." Alice's eyes lit up at his combination of words. "But hurt her, and we will have problems."

"Yeah, Ali. Hurt her, and we'll have problems." Rosalie smiled devilishly, flexing both arms. "I'll have to shoot you with these guns."

"No, there won't be a need for threats." Alice stood up with a smile. "However, we may have to use force to get her to the competition."

"I doubt that." Edward sighed, "Just tell her that if she doesn't get her ass up to go, she'll have to deal with two very angry gay men. That should just about do it."

"Ah, well played!" Emmett pumped his fist in the air, "Never underestimate the power of the gay man and his sense of drag fashion! It instills fear in even the straightest of women!"

"Unfortunately for your statement, Emmett," Jasper chuckled loudly, "Bella isn't at all straight! It was wasted!"

"Oh shit...you're right...should I take it back?" His blue eyes were confused. "I mean..."

"No, babe. It was perfect." Rosalie jumped over to him and kissed his lips softly, "You are so amazing when you use big words on your own."

"I know! It's a day to day effort, though." He shrugged, "I'll get there someday and talk like Dad, Mom and Ali one day."

* * *

><p><strong>Sad day for Bella and Alice, folks. I know you guys are really depressed about Holmes dying, I know I was really upset, too...but he isn't the first thing that's gonna break your heart. I'd hate to promise that, but it's the truth. I hope you all stick around for the rest of it. One day of pain for weeks worth of happiness, I like to think. Thanks for reading and reviewing!<strong>

**Namaste!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Namaste!**

**Yeah, I know Holmes dying was on the 'don't do it' list...but it needed to be done... I hope you guys will forgive me with the twice as long as normal update. :) I love you all, and I hope you enjoy this update. Remember, I know nothing of surfing, just what I've researched and imagined in my head that looked cool enough to put on paper. **

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Alice – Monday Morning – Surf Contest Day 1<strong>

"Good Morning, Bella!" Alice yelled as she threw open the dark curtains of her 'best friend's' bedroom windows. "It's surfing day! Finally!"

"Ali?" Bella jumped slightly, the light of her ceiling light assaulting her eyes harshly, "Oh, God...what time is it?"

"It is..." Alice glanced at the black alarm clock sitting on the beside table. "4:20 a.m."

"Jesus! Why are you waking me up at such a horrible, unlivable hour?" Bella threw a pillow at Alice, who just laughed and caught it, shooting it back at the grumpy bear on the bed. "This isn't allowed. I won't stand for it!"

"Unfortunately for you, we have to get up now." Alice walked over to the bed and lifted the blankets up, making Bella blush darkly, lifting up her pajama pant leg.

"Wha-wha-what are you doing?" Bella jumped away from her, "Why are you looking there?"

"I just wanted to see if you needed to shave or anything." The pixie shrugged with a grin, "Doesn't look like it."

"That's because I wax...as often as possible." the brunette slumped back into bed, "Why do we have to wake up so early again?"

"Oh...waxing always sounded painful..." The surfer flinched when Bella sat up immediately with a smile. "What's that smile for?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Bella waved her off before climbing out of bed, "You were saying...?"

"Yeah, we need to get there early so we can pick a nice spot for our 'headquarters' and then meet the judges and all that. Emmett likes to go and size up the competition...though its pointless, because he already knows he's better than most locals." She chuckled, "So lets get you suited up."

"Right. What color for today?" Bella pulled a box out from her closet and sat it down on the floor. Her bikinis were thrown into said box after she'd washed them, and she had put them out of sight so they wouldn't be on her mind until today.

"Go for a blue one. My family is wearing blue today." she winked, "That, and we'll match."

"Perfect." Bella dug through the box, producing the baby blue string bikini. "How should I wear my hair?"

"I like it better when it falls naturally around your shoulders." The surfer nodded to herself, "So you should leave it like that."

"Okay...when are you going to get changed?" Bella glanced up at her friend and saw her grin. "You brought your stuff over, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." She pulled a bag out of the hallway and threw it onto the bed. "I have to be prepared. That, and I brought my Henna Kit!"

"What?" Bella stood there blinking at her friend in confusion. "What is that?"

"Henna is an art I picked up. Completely temporary, so don't worry about it marking your skin. It'll last around a few weeks. Can you stand to have ink on your skin for that long?" Golden eyes pleaded with her, and Bella could only sigh and nod. She would do anything the tiny surfer asked. Even if the ink were permanent. "Great! Okay, question."

"Go ahead and ask." The shorter girl blushed darkly before meeting the other girl's light brown eyes. "Whatever it is, you can ask. I won't get upset."

"No, no..." Running a hand through her short hair she laughed a little, "I was wondering...you said you waxed...how much of your body have you waxed?"

"From my shoulders down," Bella motioned with her hand, with a sweep downward, "Hair free."

"All of it?"

Nod.

"Really?"

Another nod.

"Jeez, that must have hurt."

"Like a bitch. But I like the effect."

"Awesome. I already know what I'm going to put on your skin. Go change into your bathing suit, and I'll get the ink and stuff ready while you do that." Alice spun around and pulled out bottles, cloths, and other little things. "This one is going to be the best one I've ever drawn!"

The brunette chuckled almost silently as she went to the bathroom to change. When she was in the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror. The swelling on her face was gone, and there was no bruising at all. Thank god.

The only remnants of that day, was a small cut on her cheekbone that was beginning to scab over. It would probably become a scar, but that's what happens when you aren't careful and there's a huge, angry fist coming at your face.

Bella stepped on something soft that squeaked, and she looked down at a dog toy.

_'Holmes...' _She sighed, running her hands through her hair. _'I know you would have loved today...and the rest of the next two weeks...'_

_'I know what Alice is doing. She's distracting me to keep me from crying because you're gone now, buddy.' _She laid her forehead against the mirror, eyes closed. _'I think I woke up last night, and realized that you weren't in bed. I went downstairs looking for you, even though I knew I wouldn't find you. Would it be horrible of me to hope that I don't think too much about you today?'_

_'I knew that you weren't going to leave Forks with me again, bud. I knew it. I accepted it. I guess that's why I was distancing myself from you. I didn't do it to hurt your never-ending feelings. I did it, so that when you would pass, I wouldn't take it too hard. I would always take it hard, because you were the one constant in my life. And now...nothing in my life is constant. Nothing. I don't have the job I took up for the sake of supporting you. My family is worth its weight in crap. I don't have real friends. I was just waiting for school to start up again so I could go and earn more money for us...'_

_'I hope that you're happier where you are. Who knows, maybe I'll be with you sooner rather than later...? Just save a spot for me on that never ending field, yeah? I'll tell Alice that you loved her too, because I know you did. You'd love anything I did, no matter what. I miss you.'_

Bella stood up straight and pulled her shirt over her head and threw it to the ground. Her pajama pants followed suit, and so did her panties. She looked over her skin and nodded to herself at her inspection. No hair. Though, it was to be expected. She had waxed a little less than a week ago.

She pulled on the blue bikini top and tied it around the back of her neck, cautious of accidentally tying it on stray hairs on the nape of her neck. That shit hurt.

She adjusted the cups around her breasts and was a little flattered at herself. The color looked amazing against her pale skin. Her pale, unmarked skin. She was sometimes amazed that she could have such an amazing body, yet she loved to hide it underneath clothing. She hated struting her stuff, because where was the point to that? She wanted to be attractive personality wise, not body wise.

She put the bikini bottom between her thighs as she tied one side. She turned, and lifted it up a little before tying it to the other side. She adjusted her butt cheeks and couldn't help but slap her own ass. Sure, she was shier than hell, but she knew she had a rockin' body.

"Bella! Are you ready?" Alice called through the door, and Bella froze. How long had she been behind the door? Had she heard the slap? "The ink is ready!"

"I'm ready." Bella opened the door, and for once, Alice was grateful she hadn't been holding anything. She would have dropped it. Much like her jaw had dropped. "See something you like, Alice?"

"Uh, yeah." Her amber eyes widened at her words. She hadn't meant to say that! "I-I mean...no, I meant..."

"It's fine, Alice. You look great in your suit, too. But are the shorts necessary?" Bella smiled, her shoulders shaking a little in laughter, taking the shorter girl's hand, "Come on."

"Yeah...they keep me from getting a rash." The pixie simply followed then, and when the arrived at Bella's bedroom, they stood in silence for almost a minute. "Oh, right. Uh, go lie on the bed, please?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Bella moved over to the bed and pulled the comforter off, flinging it over to the other side and off the bed entirely. She flattened the sheets and threw herself back. The surfer's eyes were glued to her frame as her breasts bounced when she'd thrown herself.

_'Oh god...again?' _Alice grumbled under her breath, and went to get her things for the henna she was going to put on Bella. When she was ready, she moved to sit on the edge of the bed, hunched over Bella. "I'm going to put one here," Her fingers ghosted over Bella's hip bone, down to near the middle of her crotch, "And then one on your lower back. Not a tramp stamp, though. If you have any requests, now is the time to tell me."

"I want one here." Bella's fingers glided over the side of her hip on the opposite side that Alice was going to ink, "Make it however you want, but I want it to have your family name on it flowing down. Sideways, because I don't want to seem like those movie theater signs."

"You want my family name on your body?" Alice was shocked. She expected something like, her own family name, or even her name, but not her friend's family name. "Really?"

"Well, I am going to be supporting your family, Alice." Chocolates locked with caramels once again, "It would make me really happy if you were to do it."

"I will. Don't worry." Alice's possessive side was roaring in happiness, her heart thrumming harshly in her chest. Nobody would be able to mistake this type of thing. Bella was letting her, in a way, brand her. "Let me get started on the hip one. If you can pull your bottom down a little, I can start on that end, and work my way up."

Bella did as requested, and was tempted to pull it all the way down, to reveal baby soft, hairless skin. She had decided not to, because that was just mean.

"Hey, is the rest of your family doing this?" Bella squirmed when she felt the cold ink being administered to her skin. "Are you the only one who can do this?"

"Oh, no. My mother and Rosalie can do this. We all get up far earlier than I woke you up to do just this." She chuckled, "They do the boys first, and then each other. When they show up here, they'll do some on me at the same time, to cover more ground."

"Ah." Bella glanced down at the black, wet ink and simpered, "It looks cool. What kind of flower is that? I don't think I've ever seen it."

"It's called the Golden Pagoda plumeria. It's a rare flower that I've only ever come by once." Alice paused in her drawing, and looked at Bella, "I thought it was fitting. Since I've ever only come across you once, and you're fairly rare."

"Thank you." Bella sighed and laid her head back down. "How long does this typically take?"

"Depends on the sizes I'm working on." The pixie blew her bangs out of her eyes, "For all three of yours, It'll take me half an hour."

"Is that fast? I mean, by application times?" Alice nodded her head, and Bella smiled. "So you're a professional."

"I like to think so. I'm the fastest of my family, though Mom can do more intricate designs, and Rosalie likes to do them in complicated places of the body like the joints, and places where skin stretches a lot and folds over. So altogether, we are a Henna Ink Master!"

The two of them laughed, and after another two minutes or so, Alice ordered her to lay on her side, but not lean forward to bother her new ink. She worked on the 'Cullen' brand first, and then had Bella stand up for the last one. She did a vine of intricate flowers from the base of Bella's spine, up to her shoulders, letting the blooms open more the higher she got on the girl's back.

"Oh, and be aware that I will be putting a sealant on this, and we have to take constant care of it. Mine will be covered with a really heavy duty stuff, because it's bad for Henna to go into salt water, but we've already perfected the art." Alice sighed, "And, be also aware, that it won't turn black until probably Wednesday. The ink looks amazing, though. It'll be orange at first, but still severely breathtaking. When it starts to peel, let me know, alright? We want to keep it on there for as long as possible, though. The longer it stays the more color is absorbed."

"I think I can do all that." Bella nodded, "Should I wear my hair up for a few hours?"

"Just for the half hour it takes for the ink to dry. By the time we make breakfast and have it eaten, you can let it down." Alice stepped back to admire her finished work. "Amazing."

Bella held her hair up with her right hand, and looked over her left shoulder, light brown eyes warm, "Does it really look good?"

"Of course it does." _'Anything on you looks good. You make everything look good.' _"Alright, let's go eat something. While we wait for my mom and sister to show up."

The two of them walked down the stairs in single file, Alice bringing up the rear and blowing softly on the new ink on Bella's back. When they arrived in the kitchen, Charlie and Leslie were already up, sipping coffee and 'reading' the newspaper. I could see Charlie looking over the classifieds, and Leslie was looking at the comics for the day.

"Morning, girls!" Charlie was going to stand up and hug his daughter, but paused and his eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets. "Isabella Swan! When did you get tattoos! When you you going to tell me?"

"Ha, dad, stop it." Bella giggled, "They're temporary. Alice here did them a few minutes ago. She said they'd probably only last around a few weeks, give or take."

"It depends on how well she takes care of them." The pixie nodded enthusiastically, "Aren't they beautiful?"

"They are." Leslie smiled, her face changing after a minute, "I'm jealous."

"I can do one for you later, if you want." Alice offered, and Leslie nodded. "Tomorrow morning, then?"

"That would be great." Charlie smiled, looking at his girlfriend. "What?"

"What was your inspiration?" The chief asked as he eyed the one on Bella's hip, a brow lifting to his receding hair line, "And how far down did you have to go for that one?"

"Uh..." Alice blushed, "Not far. As for the inspiration, the flowers there will look at their most natural while the ink is orange and with time, it lightens up before it darkens to brown. The real flower is golden, and very rare. I've never had the honor of drawing it on anyone, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to draw it on Bella. Oh, Bells, turn around and show your dad the one on your back."

She spun around and Leslie raised an eye at the family brand one.

"She asked for that one. I had no hand in that one." Alice chuckled, "And this one, I have no idea how this came along. I guess it's just one of those things. Some artists look at a blank canvas, and suddenly see what should be put onto it."

"It's beautiful, too." Charlie sat down again and everyone heard his stomach growl. "Sorry about that. I guess my body knows its early and time for breakfast."

"Let me get started on that. Alice, want to help me?" The tiny surfer nodded, and moved to help her find the pans and ingredients she would need to make a healthy breakfast. "Is there something in specific that you need to eat?"

"Aww, you do care!" The shorter girl threw her arms around her friend dramatically, "Oh! And here I thought you only liked me because I was fun and charismatic!"

"And short. Don't forget short." Bella paused, putting a finger to her chin, "And you've got great hair. Your fashion sense isn't that bad, either."

There was an insistent knocking on the front door that made Charlie nearly jump out of his skin, as he had been watching his daughter and her friend banter back and fourth. He stood up and went to the door, and the sounds of a smart ass Rosalie could be heard from the kitchen.

"Morning, chief! Where are the donuts?" Rosalie's laughter floated down the hall, and before anyone could blink, she was standing before them all in her bikini and nothing else. Her hair was pinned up, and her henna was drawn on both of her sides and shoulders. "Morning Surfer-Ali! Morning Main-lander-Bella!"

"You're really hyper this morning..." Alice narrowed her eyes, searching. She gasped and slapped her forehead, "You didn't!"

"I did!" She squealed, "I know you won't be happy with me, but I swear, it seemed like the greatest idea at the time!"

"Oh god." Alice looked at her mother, who was cracking a smile behind her hand, "And you? Where were you when this idiot was doing her thing?"

"I had to ink up everyone this morning, Alice...she disappeared with Emmett shortly after I finished with the two of them!" She giggled, "But I don't think this will affect your outcome at all."

"Have you eaten, mom?" She sighed, "Bella was about to start cooking."

"Oh, I'll have an egg. That would be great." She smiled sweetly at Bella, "Would you like my help?"

"No, I'm alright. You should start working on Alice's tattoos now, though." She tilted her head a little, her bangs following as she turned around to start making breakfast, "How do you like your egg?"

"Sunny side up on a piece of toast." She looked at her youngest daughter, "Where is your kit?"

"It's upstairs. We can do that there while Bella feeds herself and her family." She looked over at Rosalie, who was buzzing with unspent energy. "And the blond bimbo there. Bella, please force something like bread down her throat. She'll hate herself in a couple of hours otherwise."

"Right." Bella looked over at Rosalie, who was making knots with her fingers. "So...what happened?"

"We aren't supposed to have caffeine the morning before any surfing competition, besides tea. Well, I couldn't help it, and I've been drinking Red Bull and Monster since 2:00 this morning." She smiled sheepishly, "That, and I had straight up black coffee. I am trying to keep as hyper as possible so I won't be tempted to take my bathing suit off."

"Ah, I've heard of that." Bella chuckled as she cracked eggs open into a really wide pan, "I figured you did that accidentally."

"It was accidental until maybe the fourth time." She smirked, "Then it just became a habit because it helped me and Emmett rank higher. The popularity helps, and so does turning on the very male judges. It also worked as a great distraction for the other surfers. Male and female alike."

"I suppose that would help." The sizzling of eggs kept her mind at attention, and she cursed, "I forgot to get the bacon."

"Oh, let me help." Rosalie stood up and went over to the fridge, and pulled the package out. She came up to the brunette's side and opened the plastic zip closure and pulled out a few strips of it, tossing them onto the freakishly wide pan. "You're ink looks amazing."

"Thanks, yours isn't too bad, either." The girls giggled together, and continued cooking breakfast as a unit. They served Charlie and Leslie first, and then the two of them. When they were sure Esme and Alice were coming down, they made them breakfast, too, and Alice's ink looked phenomenal. So detailed and intricate, it put everyone's ink to shame.

"Damn, Esme, you've outdone yourself this time!" Rosalie cheered, patting the top of Alice's head since she couldn't hug her. "You look hot, Ali-cat."

"Err...thank you?" She blushed, "What do you think, Bella?"

"They're...oddly, perfect." Her chocolate eyes drizzled like syrup down Alice's frame, lingering on the sun shaped design around her belly button. _'That's yummy.' _"You look good."

"Thanks." She eyed what Bella was putting down on a plate, "Is that for my mom?"

"Both of you." She placed another small plate in front of Esme, who thanked her and moved to sit at the small table with the adults. "Eat up. But, eat what you think you should, and not what you shouldn't. Wouldn't want you throwing up or anything."

"Alright." Alice leaned against the counter and bit into a piece of toast, winking at Bella, who nearly dropped the pan at the wink.

"Shit." She chuckled, tossing the pan into the empty sink, "Sorry about that."

"No, I'm sorry." _'Awkwardddd...' _Alice continued eating, and Bella coughed. "Bella?"

"Ah, excuse me." She avoided eye contact, and walked up the stairs, hiding her face for the trip up the stairs, as it was directly in eye shot of Alice.

"What just happened?" Rosalie bent her head back as far as it would go and groaned, "You two are just...You're prime examples of sexual frustration."

"Sorry." Alice finished up quickly before placing her plate in the sink, moving to go up the stairs, "Let me _fix _this, then."

"Oh, do you want us out of the house?" The blond almost fell over at the speed in which she stood up. "Because I can totally scream, 'fire!'"

"No, that's fine. It won't be anything at all sexual or anything." Alice shrugged before smiling and running up the stairs after her friend.

"Oh my God! We need to leave soon!" Esme jumped from her seat, waving her wrist around, "It's five forty five! We're late!"

"Alice! Bella! Let's go!" Charlie hollered up the stairs, too chicken to go up and force them downstairs.

Upstairs, things weren't as tense as they were downstairs.

"Bella," Alice moved to the girl's side, where she was again, standing in the bathroom, her forehead pressed to the glass as water dripped off her cheeks. She had come up to cool her face down and maybe beat her need for a cold shower. Alice being here with her was definitely not helping. "What's the matter?"

"Unn...nothing. Are you ready to go?" Bella pulled away from the mirror and turned her exceptionally dark chocolate eyes to confused golden ones. "I hope you are, I can hear your mom panicking downstairs."

"Yeah," Alice entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her, trapping the other girl, "But first..."

"Ali, what-" Bella's heart thumped in her chest wildly, her hands moving to hold herself against the sink, Alice's small body trapping her.

"Bella, please." Alice wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck and pulled her down into a hug. Since Alice's ink was nearly dry, hugging was not an issue, and she pressed to Bella as tightly as possible. "Just have fun today...okay?"

"That was the plan, if you remember." the brunette brought one hand to Alice's head, pulling her down to press a soft kiss to the top of her head, sighing into black locks. "You'll have fun, too, right?"

"Of course. If I have my two favorite things at the same time, there's no way I won't have fun." She giggled, snuggling closer. "Are you ready to go now?"

"Let's go." Bella almost whined when the pixie pulled away, opening the door.

* * *

><p>"What is that?" Bella asked as she pointed at a huge eighteen wheeler pulling onto the sandy beach, "and why is it parking in the sand?"<p>

"Just watch." Alice giggled, pulling her friend by the hand, "It's amazing."

And watch they did, as the side of the eighteen wheeler that was facing the water seemed to break in the middle, the top coming up, and the bottom coming down. Huge, black speakers lined the top, bottom and what looked like a DJ station was what the inside was made of. It had lights, fog machines, and a spin table.

"It's the party semi!" Emmett hooted, "Pump the jams!"

"Oh, look. The decoration teams showed up." Edward sighed, "Wonder what kind of cheesy banners they made for this one. You'd think for people who have almost a month in between competitons, they'd put more effort into what they do for a living."

"Nope. They scrape by for fun." Jasper chuckled. "Bella, have you seen the rest of the surfers? The way they carry themselves?"

"Like Donkey Kong?" Bella chuckled, pointing at a rather burly boy who had his shoulders up, arms hanging loosely at his sides, ready at any moment to beat his chest and make chimp noises. "And Ren and Stimpy?"

"I noticed them, too." Alice whispered at her side, giggling gently. "Though, they look more like a Pinky and the Brain."

"You're right." Bella snapped her fingers, shaking her head. "So, why are we looking at these surfers and making fun of them?"

"Because its fun, and it's called 'sizing up the competition'. Normally we don't care, but seeing as how you're new, and you've never experienced the fun of a surfing competition, it's only right you go through the rites of passage." Emmett spoke with a otherworldly voice, all that was missing was that infamous flashlight.

"But I'm not a surfer." She deadpanned, and he smacked his forehead.

"Not what I meant!" He dropped his arms, "What I meant is, you get to have fun with us, you little _noob._"

"Noob? What is that?" Bella wrinkled her nose. "It sounds horrible."

"It means 'person who is at intermediate level' at virtually everything." Jasper informed, almost sounding like a direct quote from a dictionary. "Simply put, you're a beginner."

"Ah, I get it. The grasshopper, right?" Bella shrugged her shoulders, "I suppose that I am this..._noob. _Anyway, what else is there to do here? Besides gawk at dudes with bleached hair and washboard abs? Not that the view hurts my eyes."

To prove her point, Bella 'ogled' some boys passing by, catching their attention, before turning back to see a rather put off Alice. She chuckled, and grasped one of her free hands, lacing their fingers. "I was kidding. I don't like surfer boys. Sorry, Edward."

"I'm not." He snorted, but laughed, his green eyes shining. "You're ogling technique needs work. You looked like a mental patient."

"Oh, but straight boys wouldn't care, and couldn't tell the difference." Jasper grinned, shaking a finger at Bella and Alice, "Don't you bring unwanted attention to yourself, Bells. You'll find that these surfer boys are much different from the ones you've been dodging for the past few weeks. These guys hit beaches up to get laid. And they never fail."

"That's another thing I wanted to tell you about, Bella-bear." Emmett huddled his siblings around Bella, and spoke in all seriousness. "Drugs are a big thing on beaches riddled with surfers. Don't accept anything from _anyone. _Don't drink anything. Don't eat anything. Hell, don't _touch _anything that we," He motioned around the circle, "didn't give you, and _do not _under **any circumstances **_**go off by yourself.**_"

"Bella, anything can happen when we aren't looking, and you need to be careful. They won't mess with any one of us, because they know we know what they're up to." Jasper looked out of their huddle and glared at some boys passing by.

"Some of these guys are decent, fun loving guys, but most of them are sleazeballs. Stay away from all of them. Just in case." Rosalie sighed, getting a headache from all the caffeine, probably.

"Like they said, anything can happen, but since you let Alice put that on your body," Edward smiled, tilting his head slightly to admire his sister's handiwork, "Nobody should bother you...though I wouldn't put it past them."

"Not all of us will be surfing each time, we will take turns, and there will always be someone with you. Stay with them, and we can avoid any and all issues." Alice squeezed their human centerpiece's fingers. "Please, please, _please, _don't go off with anyone. I don't care if you know them, or you grew up with them, or they came to your baptism, don't go off with anyone."

"Okay. These guys must be pretty bad if you guys are being this serious." the brunette bit her lip, "Now I'm kinda scared."

"Don't be scared...just be alert and prepared." Emmett handed her a bag that was easy to reach into. "Have this with you at all times. We aren't expecting anything...but it doesn't hurt to have it when you don't need it, then to not have it, and really need it."

She looked in and smiled. A can of pepper-spray, a horn, and a... "Is this a switchblade?"

"With brass knuckles." Emmett smirked, proud. "That's my personal item. Take care of it, and don't take it out unless you really need it."

"You got it." Bella patted the bag awkwardly. "Hey, look. It's Jacob."

"Bella?" He stopped his glaring at the Cullens, and smiled widely at her. "What are you doing here? You hate the ocean."

"Yeah, I know." She said it sarcastically, as if she could have forgotten something like that. She was here because she wasn't going to let something like that get in the way of her cheering her best friend and her family on. She touched her face, and watch him flinch. "It still hurts, you know."

"He's the one who did that to you?" Emmett cracked his knuckles, anger apparent. "You hit my Bella-bear, did you?"

"Hey, man, it was an accident. I didn't know she was going to open the door, she just yanked it open, and then your sister there," He practically spat in Alice's direction, "Kicked me in the nuts hard enough."

"Not hard enough if your walking." The hair on the back of Alice's head seemed to attempt to stand up as she bristled, "I should have practiced aerobic power kicks on you."

"Yeah, but you didn't." He wrinkled his nose, pinching it slightly, "Ugh."

"What?" Bella asked, sniffing her shoulder, and then sniffed Alice. She smelled good...

"Nothing...I just hate the smell of _losers _this early in the morning." He smirked cockily, backing up and turning to walk away, "Bella, when you get tired of hanging out with losers, come find me, yeah?"

"Yeah, and when you grow a pair of balls and maybe even a dick, come find her." Alice cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled out, causing Jacob and his small entourage to stop and spin back around. "Ohh, sore subject?"

"Listen here, you bitch," Bella felt behind her and found a wooden beach marker, yanking it out of the sand before stepping toward Jacob, and swinging it at his face. It shattered easily at her force, and he jumped back, howling in pain. "What the fuck, Bella?"

"Don't call her a bitch." She clenched her jaw, "And that's for hitting me on the face. You're lucky I didn't have a baseball bat, I would have done more damage with that."

Emmett was howling in laughter, tears running down his face with his brothers following suit. Rosalie wasn't far off, clutching her stomach, and Alice was shocked. She hadn't expected Bella to actually hit him...

"Whatever." Jacob ran off, clutching the side of his precious face, and Bella couldn't hold it in anymore. She threw her head back and laughed, and doubled over when he tripped in the sand and landed on said precious face.

"Bella, come on." Alice sighed, "You shouldn't have hit him. I had already kicked him in the balls for you already. You've probably crippled any chances he had of getting pretty girls to sleep with him today."

"I didn't do it because he hit me." Bella wiped her eyes clean and looked over into molten gold. She stood up a little straighter and hugged the shorter girl, sighing. "I did it because he called you a bitch. Nobody calls you a bitch and gets away with it."

"See, I knew I'd love her!"Rosalie squealed and hugged the two already hugging girls.

"She's totally a Cullen!" Emmett hugged over the three of them, and Rosalie tried halfheartedly to push him away. "Aww, Rosie!"

"Back off, she's mine!" She laughed, kissing her husband.

"No way! She's ours!" Jasper nudged into the hug, along with Edward.

"Aww, group hug!" Edward cheered, the flash of a camera blinding them for a split second, and they all blinked in confusion. "Uh...have we met? Or are you a part of the magazine team they sent this year?"

"Oh, no. I'm a friend of the heart of your group hug." the girl pushed her hair behind her ear and smiled, "Hey, Bella!"

"Angela?" The brunette's head came from between arms and she grinned, "Caught us at a rather tangled moment, huh?"

"I'll say!" Eric sighed, fawning over Rosalie, who was trying to get her brothers to break up the hugging now that the moment was ruined. "Hey."

"Uh, ew." Rosalie wrinkled her nose and stepped into the protective circle of her husband's arms, "Bella, what's his problem?"

"Nothing, really." She moved over, pressing her foot to the side of his head and gently kicking him over into the sand, "He's a harmless idiot."

"Ah, okay." She smiled, bending down to speak to the 'harmless idiot'. "Hi, there. Do you know who I am?"

"You're Rosalie Hale Cullen. Married to Emmett Cullen." Her eyes widened, and she backed up again, "I have a paper poster of you and your family on my wall."

"Now, I won't say that isn't creepy." Emmett grinned, "What's your name, little man?"

"Eric...Eric Yorkie." He stood up, brushing sand off his clothes, "It's nice to meet you."

"EMMETT!" A rushing whirlwind slammed into the big man, making him grunt before laughing and falling over, wrestling with the thing that slammed into him.

"SETH!" He guffawed, tackling the boy down and pinning him down, "When will you learn, boy? You can't take this monster down!"

"I can try, though, can't I?" He smirked as Emmett let him up, "Bella!"

"Don't tackle me, or you'll regret it." Bella held her hands up, stopping him from rushing at her, "Did you pull a Rosalie this morning or what?"

"Probably." He shrugged, "Whatever that means."

"Looks like my mom got to you." Rosalie eyed his baby blue board shorts and the ink staining his arms and upper chest. "Looks good."

"Thanks." He scratched at his head, "I'm hoping to catch the eyes of pretty ladies today, so hopefully they'll think it looks good, too."

"Don't listen to their opinions. God, listens to my opinion frequently, so you should listen to me, too." She flicked her hair over her shoulder. God, it _was _a Rosalie thing. "Have my parents shown up with the boards?"

"Yeah, want to go get them?" Everyone nodded, and walked to where Emmett's Jeep was parked, the boards sticking out of the back seat. Esme held a box full of the fins that were supposed to be stuck to the bottom of the boards.

Emmett hopped up onto the back and pulled them down one by one, handing them to their respective owners. When Alice's baby blue one came down, the pixie beamed proudly, her mother attaching the fins to the back of it, "Isn't she beautiful? I'm going to ride her for the entire competition!"

"What will you do with it afterward?" Bella asked curiously, but worriedly. She did not spend eight hundred dollars for her to hand it off to some random dude when they left for the next competition spot. "I mean, it was expensive..."

"It'll go where I go." She smiled, lacing their fingers together slowly, so the other girl could pull away at any time. "I would never leave a board this beautiful behind."

"Good to know." Bella met Carlisle's gaze and blushed. _'Geez, stop staring at me like that! I just __wanted to buy her something she wanted! I don't want her to throw the damn thing away or anything...' _

Bella huffed as she pulled Alice away, back to the beach. She found it nice that she could walk toward the ocean without freezing up. Alice had a lot to do with that. She had been there for her, and she was now comfortable. So long as she didn't need to go anywhere _near _the water, she would be fine.

"Bella, what was that about?" Alice whispered in her ear, holding her board to her side as they walked, "That thing with my dad?"

"Nothing, Ali. Don't worry." Bella smiled and tried to make her drop it, but if she knew Alice at all, she knew she wouldn't drop it. She lived true to form.

"That wasn't nothing, Bella." She sat the board down with its fins in the sand, balancing it. "Now, tell me. Spill your guts, I promise, I won't get upset."

"Alright, you really want to know?" Bella twiddled her fingers, "You said you wouldn't get upset. Will you hold to that promise?"

"Really, Bella?" The girl refused to say anything. "Fine. Yes, I promise I won't get upset."

"Okay...your dad was giving me the eye because...this board here..." She touched it gently as to not make it fall over, "I, uh...bought it for you when you weren't looking."

"Wait, what?" Alice's amber eyes narrowed before she stood back a little, looking up and down the length of the shining baby blue surf board. "You...bought this for me?"

"Yes." Bella pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, before bringing her eyes down to the sand between her toes.

"You paid..._eight hundred _dollars worth of your hard earned money..." She turned her golden eyes to Bella's deep brown ones, "on this blue surfboard...for me?"

"Is it so hard to believe?" Bella threw her arms up, "Really, Alice? Can't we just skim over this or something? It felt great before this whole...thing."

"I'm sorry, Bella, I'm just not used to people spending money on me," She bit her lip, forehead wrinkled deeply, "And eight hundred dollars is a lot to spend on someone you barely..."

"I didn't want to tell you anything because I knew you would react like this. This is why I don't ever..." Bella sucked in a breath and felt a twinge in her chest, "God, I-I need to go."

"No, wait, Bella!" Alice grasped the other girl's arm, "I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"I-It hurts a little." Bella quietly gasped. She was seriously considering getting on something for anxiety or something, because this was bullshit. "Get my bag?"

"Shit." She reached into her sweater's pocket, and produced Bella's rescue inhaler. How did she...? "Here," She shook it a few times and popped the lid open, pressing the tube to her friend's lips, "Breathe."

Two pumps and a few gasps later, the brunette's face turned a healthier color, and she sighed. "Thank you. Why are you carrying that around, by the way?"

"Because I'm always with you, and you always seem to need it when you get excited." The tiny surfer smiled sadly, "So I'll always have on on my person, just in case."

"Good to know." Bella shuddered, thinking back to what happened when Alice _wasn't _around and she'd run out of medication. "Let's go...with everyone else."

"Alright." Alice still looked worried, but when Bella smiled at her, she couldn't help but smile back genuinely. "There they are."

* * *

><p>"Hey, it's starting." Emmett looked over to where the judges were beginning to sit behind a table, grimacing at all the youthfulness of the people surrounding them. "Damn, they're older judges. Can't see for jack at that age."<p>

"Be nice." Rosalie swatted him, "At least they can still appreciate a beautiful girl."

"Right." Alice sighed, "How are we doing the heats?"

"I figured we could all go in pairs." Jasper looked at the youngest of them all and frowned, "You can go surf whenever you are up for it with Seth, Ali."

"Great." Bella noticed how Alice had seemed to sadden a little. Was it because she didn't have a surfing partner that was in her family? That out of five, she was the only one that was still a one? "So which pair of you is going first? So I can see when Seth wants to go."

"I'm thinking me and Rosie can go first. Warm up the competition a little. Get a feel for the first waves." He picked up his board, his wife following his example. It was then that Bella took the time to admire their boards.

"I'll want to go before Edward and Jasper go." Seth bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly, "That way, I can see all four of you surf!"

Emmett's was black with a fat red stripe running down the middle of it. And it was huge, towering over him. Rosalie's was red and shiny, much like her car. It was plain, but not plain, in the same sense. It had a feel to it, and was around her size.

**"For the first heat of the day, we have the Cullen Five's very own Emmett 'La Hombre' Cullen and Rosalita 'La Mamita' Cullen!' **A loud voice came over the beach once the couple walked up to talk to the judges, possibly to tell them their family's line up. **' Next to them is the Traveling Trio leader, James! And, introducing La Push's 'Los Perros Del Mar', 'Sam...sin apellido...just Sam! Y Jared!'**

"Oh my god, they were so full of themselves, they didn't even bother putting in their last names?" Seth was grinning like a fool, "What idiots! They're going up against the Cullen Five!"

"Let them do what they want." Alice hushed him with a swat, "They would have made you do the same thing, Sethy."

"Fine, fine." The boy chuckled, "I can't wait to see them go!"

Bella didn't understand exactly how they scored and judged a thing like surfing, but all she could understand and do was cheer when Emmett and Rosalie did awesome maneuvers on the waves And boy did they look amazing and powerful while doing them.

Within the first minute or so, Jared fell off his board, causing Sam to tip over a little, but he held on.

**"Jared se cayo! Eliminado! He's out!" **The crowds of people and surfers alike cheered anyway for his attempts, and waved their arms around, sounding much like the buzzing of a beehive.

Unfortunately, his crappy attempt looked especially bad next to the magic taking place right next to him. James wasn't doing too well, either, and barely made it to the sand before falling off his board clumsily.

The blond and black-haired couple moved in sync, almost choreographed, but raw enough to assure everyone that it wasn't. The blond laughed, and shook her shoulders back and fourth as Trey Songz' -Bottoms Up was playing over the super speakers on the eighteen wheeler. Emmett was shaking his booty like a girl in a club to the Nicki Minaj part of the song, and slapped his own ass at some point as they turned to high five each other, passing each other on the way back to the beach. They, of course, got the highest scores, sorely beating out the La Push group.

**"YEAHHH! Give it up for the Cullen Five!" **The crowd certainly did 'give it up', as they cheered and continuously gave Emmett pats on the back and clapped kindly to Rose, who they knew wouldn't be welcoming of pats or touches.

Jacob was beside himself in anger. Of course his group wasn't going to do as well as Alice's group, they traveled the world and surfed it all!

When Rosalie and Emmett came back, Alice turned to Bella, smiling softly.

"Rub this on my back, please?" She handed her what looked like an oil based gel, shrugging off her translucent white button up, and the brunette nodded, taking generous glops of it into her hands and gently applying it to her friend's skin. _'Oh, she's got such smooth skin! Bad Bella, bad! Hands off!' _

"Will that do?" Bella wiped her hands over her own hip henna ink and shrugged off the cardigan she was wearing. It was getting hotter the longer they were out there. "This weather is freakish. I thought it was always cold here?"

"It's like they have psychics predicting the weather for these things." Alice giggled, hugging her friend tightly, "Have Rosalie put some of this on your back. Remember what we said, no running off, Bella."

**"Looks like there's a new member of the Cullen Five! Wave your arms for us, chica hermosa!" **Bella waved one of her arms halfheartedly, her attention never really straying from Alice, who was still standing with her.

"I won't. I'll be right here." Alice picked up her board and began to walk away. When she entered the water, Bella's chest seized. Her breathing became labored, and she took a few steps to call Alice back, her hand stretching out. "Ali.."

"She'll be alright." Rosalie hugged her from the front, blocking her view of Alice paddling out into deeper waters, "You trust her, right?"

"Of course I do, it's the huge body of water that she's in that I don't trust!" Bella's eyes widened, and her head felt light, "Oh, God..."

**"Ahora, it's time for the Cullen Five's Alice 'La Princessa' Cullen, and Seth 'El Chico Nuevo' Clearwater to take their game to the waves! The Traveling Trio's Laurent will be out there, and from La Push, we have Paul and Jacob!"**

"Oye, yo no soy la Princessa! Yo soy la Reina!"Alice shot back at the man who was waving his arms, laughing at her words. She giggled as she shouted, "Si, o No?"

**"Si, si! La Reina del Playa!" **The DJ turned to his computer and used his mouse to click on something special. Whenever he was at a Cullen Five attended event, he always played a song for Alice, who was the best, _the best, _surfer he'd had the pleasure of seeing. **"Te adoro, Alicia, te quiero! Este cancion es para ti!"**

His song of choice this time, was T-Pain's 'Best Love Song', and he waved his arms over his head in time to the slow, enchanting beat.

Back with Bella, things weren't so party rock.

"Bella, if you don't calm down, you'll faint and that will scare Alice, and she won't be able to concentrate." Rosalie ran her hands through the brunette's mahogany locks. "Shhh...it only takes a few minutes, you saw us out there. Didn't we look cool?"

"Y-Yes..." Bella nodded furiously, trying to shake the lightness out of her head, "Yes."

"And Seth is out there, too. Remember?" the brunette nodded again, sighing aloud. "Besides, how do you think it'll make Ali feel that you can't watch her surf, when that's pretty much the only thing she wanted since meeting you?"

"I think I'm okay now." Bella pulled away from the blond, who smiled, before motioning for her to sit on a fold out chair that hadn't been there before. There were nine of them out, and Carlisle and Esme were already seated, drinks in hand, straws in mouth. Violet was tied up to the chair Esme was sitting on, digging in the sand happily.

She fell into one of them, and watched as Alice continued paddling out, her board very visible among the dark waters.

When she started standing on her board and doing quick, precise maneuvers, Bella's breath was stolen away. She looked absolutely stunning. It was a visual that wasn't justified in that poster on her wall over her bed. There was no way this could be justified with a picture. It had to be admired in real life.

Alice looked like a panther out on the water. Her board swiftly moved on the water, her arms at her sides, and her legs looked powerful. Bella could imagine how her abdomen was probably tight from holding herself up on the board and balancing, her thighs must be much the same. Her face, however...God, she looked almost in ecstasy as she rode out the waves. Her golden eyes were brighter than they'd ever been before, and she looked so happy out there, it made Bella jealous.

Not that she was happy, but that the ocean could make her that happy. She and the Big Blue certainly had issues now.

If she kept this up for much longer, the brunette would surely develop an inferiority complex.

When Alice was back on the sand, she pretended to not notice, picking at her fingernails intently. She came up to her family's 'headquarters' and was a little out of breath, "How was that? I scored perfectly."

"That was amazing, Alice, dear!" Esme stood up and hugged her daughter, and Carlisle followed suit, "You truly were beautiful out there."

When both of the parents sat down, she turned her excited, glowing amber eyes to her friend. When she realized that she wasn't even looking at her, the wind all but blew out of her sails. Bella had to bit her tongue to keep from giving herself away.

"Bella? Did...did you see?" Alice looked bewildered. "I-I...? Bella!"

"Huh?" Bella was trying hard to not laugh out loud. Instead, she jumped to her feet and pounced on her little surfer friend, hugging her tightly as they rolled around in the soft sand, "You were great! Oh, don't get me wrong, I was terrified when you went into the water, but Rosalie talked me into calming down and watching you, and I'm so glad I'm here to watch this!"

"You liked it?" Her eyes were glowing again, sparkling in absolute happiness. "Really?"

"Of course I did! It was magical!" Bella sighed deeply, "God, I was scared."

"I'm okay, Bells." She rubbed the other girl's back softly, "See? I'm here."

"I can see and feel that." She nuzzled gently into her neck, "I'm so glad."

A loud clearing of a throat made the spell over them sizzle, and Bella and Alice looked over at Emmett, who grinned widely. "Not that I wanted to ruin the moment or anything, but you guys are...attracting a lot of attention."

They looked around, and saw hordes of surfer boys gawking at the two super hot girls hugging on the sand in little string bikinis.

"You think they'd like it if we were lying in mud?" Alice whispered and Bella turned bright red, closing her eyes in embarrassment. "I think that's a yes."

"ARE YOU ALL DONE STARING?" Rosalie snarled, scaring off all of the boys, and even some of the surf officials. "I love you guys, I really do, but stop calling attention to us, please."

"Yes, Ma'am." The tiny surfer giggled, "It's Jasper and Edward's turn to surf now."

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Seth howled as he came over to the Cullens, cheering, "That was so amazing and, oh my god, Alice, you were phenomenal!"

"Hey, no using bigger words than me when describing Alice." Bella pinched his nose when he bent closer to Alice to gush to her. "Now beat it."

"Fine, fine." He whined, going to Emmett, who patted his shoulder proudly.

"You did great, kid. I am impressed. I'm shocked that the La Push kids didn't want you surfing, you would have given them the edge to win." He ruffled the shorter guy's hair.

"You got lucky this time, Cullen." Jacob came up behind Seth, shaking his hair out, much to everyone's annoyance. "You won't get another score like that as long as I'm in this competition. You got that?"

"Don't make me look for another stick." Bella stood up, the slight muscles in her abdomen tense as she held her ground, "Because I will hit you again if you don't back off."

"Big words coming from you, Bella." He chuckled, "If you aren't careful, I might just pull a prank on you. Ya know, throw you into the water? Bet you'd like that."

"Empty threats, Bella." Alice put a soft but firm hand on Bella's shoulder, turning her to look at her, "Don't listen to him. He's just jealous that he got whipped by me and Seth."

"Right. As if that pup had anything to do with your score. He could barely stay on his board." Jacob looked over at Seth, whose jaw was trembling. "Aww, look. He's going to cry."

"Leave, Jacob." Emmett stepped between the La Push boys, "Now."

The Black boy huffed and left without another word. Bella had the urge to go after him and seriously do damage this time. Edward chuckled and turned to Jasper, "She's much like a kitten who thinks she's a tiger."

"Or, I'm a tiger pretending to be a kitten." She winked at him, "You never know. I could be packing some muscle under this."

"Yeah, and I could be my own uncle." Jasper chuckled, "Leave the fighting to Emmett and Rosalie, would you?"

"Sure." The brunette pouted, "But I get free kicks in when I get the chance."

"Deal." Emmett grinned, hugging the sandy girl to his side, "So, Bella..."

"What?" She looked up at the bear of the Cullens.

"I hope your ready to get completely smashed tonight, because you've earned it!" His wife attempted to swat at him, but he pulled her into his free arm, squashing her to his side, "It'll be so fun! I mean, the girls, the alcohol and the fun!"

"The only thing they're missing is the juggling bears, apparently." Bella cracked up, "Or do you fill that spot?"

"Actually, I'm a great juggling bear." He nodded, "So, yeah."

"Oh god." Bella hugged him before moving away from him, only for him to lean down and whisper something in her ear.

"Alice said something about being a dancer tonight...I wonder why she'd want to do that all of a sudden." He winked as he pulled away, and she blushed darkly. Alice? Dancing? Hot damn.

"Well, we're off." Jasper chuckled, pulling Edward along with him, his dark green board following in his opposite arm. Edward's dark blue one in his free arm.

**"This just in, ladies! The word is that...it's Edward and Jasper 'los dioses del sexo' Cullen to come out and strut their stuff! And from La Push, we have Quil and Leah 'La Amazona'!"**

A girl standing closest to Edward practically screamed in his ear, "Ay, Papi!"

"Jesus, it gets bad for them, doesn't it? Where do most of these girls come from, anyway?" Bella chuckled, "Does anyone know they're gay together?"

"California. They tend to ignore that when faced with their half naked bodies." Rosalie grinned, "I think its hilarious. The fear in their eyes when surrounded by rabid fan-girls."

"You'd think their being gay would be a form of fan-service." the brunette looked over at Alice, who was red in the face. She was trying to keep from laughing. "What?"

"It was at first." Emmett crossed his arms over his chest after releasing his wife, "Now, they can't keep their hands off each other."

Once all four of the main surfers were out on the water, along with a couple of minor surfers on the skirts of the main competition, the DJ played another song.

He played The Black Eyed Peas' 'The Time (Dirty Bit) quite loudly, and Alice turned around, singing the song to her brunette best friend. Rosalie laughed aloud, and turned to sing it to her husband.

"..and I never felt this way before, and I swear, this is true, and I owe it all to youuu!" Alice threw her arms in the air and swayed her hips to the electrical beats that were pumped out onto the beach, her head dipping a little as she moved.

Bella was honestly captivated by the way she moved. Her movements were smooth, and fluid, and boy was it hot.

"Cause I'm... having... a good, time, with you, I'm tellin' you..!" Rosalie smiled, her face close to her husband's as she had her arms around his neck, the two of them swaying as if slow-dancing. Their parents sat in their seats, chuckling to each other about their childrens' silly antics.

"Wow, a remix!" Bella giggled, "I love this song!"

"Then sing it, Bella-bear!" Emmett swung his wife around while dancing around in a circle.

"...Fergalicious definition, make the boys go loco, they want my treasure, so they get their pleasures from my photo," the brunette swung her hips around, dancing much like Fergie was in the video, "You can see me, you can't squeeze, I ain't easy, I ain't sleazy, I got reasons why I tease 'em, boys just come and go like seasons, fergalicious..."

"Bella, you can dance?" Alice's jaw dropped as her eyes were glued to the sexy body within her midst. "I didn't know that!"

"There's lots about me you still don't know." Bella smiled, still moving, "But you've got time to learn more, right?" The pixie nodded, blinking as if seizing.

"Go, Bella!" Seth howled, clapping his hands.

"Fergalicious," Bella sang that part, and Alice smirked, half whispering, "So delicious."

"But, I ain't promiscuous, and if you were suspicious, all that shit is fictitious," Bella was going to keep singing a little longer, and dancing more, but a snarky comment made her stop.

"Yeah, I keep telling myself that, but it seems to be more true the more I see you." Brown eyes rolled as she looked over at Louis, who was flanked by Victoria. "You know, this is sad."

"How so?" Bella crossed her arms over her chest, "You said I didn't need to see you until Friday."

**"Last Call for Victoria of the Traveling Trio! Victoria! Where are youuuu?" **The redhead rolled her eyes and continued to ignore the DJ.

"Well, I lied." She swept some of her hair back, "And obviously, you did, too."

"What are you talking about? I never lied about anything." Bella stiffened, "I don't lie."

"You told me at the very beginning that you wanted to go slow. That you aren't a cheater. That you actually liked me." Louis' eyes locked on Alice, who was frowning. "I stayed away thinking that you were going to stay away from her to think our relationship over, and here you are, with her! Wearing a matching bikini and her last name inked on you thigh. How is that supposed to make me feel, Bella?"

"Not everything is about you, Louis." Bella's arms flexed unconsciously, "And if you hadn't noticed, I'm here with my friends. You? You came here to make me miserable, and you brought the girl you were cheating on me with. She's standing right beside you, glaring at me still. So why don't you take her," The brunette pointed at Victoria, "and your double standards and go fuck yourself."

"Bella, please-" Louis' expression changed quickly, from angry to terrified. "I don't want you to leave me! I just...I did all that so you'd be jealous, Bella! I didn't cheat on you to cheat on you. She doesn't mean anything to me."

"What?" Victoria turned on Louis and hissed at her, "What the hell do you mean, I don't mean anything to you? I am this close to throwing away my fucking career for you!"

"I meant what I said." The black-haired girl snarled at the redhead, who just curled her lip and turned away from her, storming off to find her group and apologize for being late. "So...what do you say, Bella?"

"I say no." The smallest surfer looked up at her friend's face, and smiled. "I don't want to bother trying to make something that isn't going to work, work. You've already cheated on me, and that's enough of a deal breaker. I'm having fun with my friends, and my Ali. So...just go your own way."

"Oh, so now you're with her?" Dark eyes glared at the short girl, making her glare right back. "Real good, Bella. Go for someone who is leaving town in two weeks, that's really smart."

"Best thing I've ever done in my life." Bella sighed, putting her hands over Alice's eyes and pulling her back. She squirmed a little, her hair sticking up between Bella's thumbs and pointer fingers. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have celebrating to do."

"So that's it? You're going to end _us _just like that?" Louis' eyes began to tear up, her lower lip trembling, arms shaking. "I-I mean, am I not good enough? Did I not love your dog enough? I bought a car to impress you, and it broke, and I had to spend so much money to fix it just to drive it here..."

"I'm sorry." Bella couldn't look at the other girl. She felt so guilty. This wasn't how she was going to break it off with her. She was going to do it gently, so they would part as friends...but now, it didn't seem to be turning out that way. "Who are you here with?"

"I-I came with Victoria and her friends." She looked over her shoulder at the surfing redhead, and sighed. "I guess I'll just go home now."

"Why don't you," Everyone looked at Bella shocked. Was she really going to suggest that she chill with them? " go find Eric and his girlfriend Angela? I saw them here about an hour or two ago. They should be around taking pictures. I'm sure they'll need some help."

"Okay." She drug her feet through the sand, as if waiting to see if Bella would stop her again. Unfortunately for her, she'd already stopped paying attention to her. She'd already turned her eyes to Alice, who was grinning like a fool.

When Louis was out of earshot, she spoke softly.

"You finally did it." The taller girl nodded, her fingers touching over the waist ties of her bikini bottoms. "I'm so glad."

"Shit, I," Rosalie slung an arm over the brown eyed girl's shoulders, "Am glad that you broke it off with her. I was already getting tired of her."

"At least she didn't attack anyone." Bella shuddered, "That would have been horrible."

"I could've taken her." The pixie threw her arms around Bella's waist, tightening her hold. She pressed her face to the skin of Bella's stomach and muttered, "Bella?"

"Hm?" Soft hands were placed on Alice's back, and she sighed.

"Thank you." The brunette's left hand moved from Alice's back to the side of her head, running long fingers gently through her black hair, pulling it slightly, but not hard enough to make her look up or cause pain. If anything, it made her whimper in slight pleasure.

"No." Bella chuckled, leaning down to place a kiss to the top of the tiny surfer's head, "Thank you."

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><p><strong>Yay for Bellice and end of Louis! It's day one of the surfing competition, and the day isn't over yet! Next update will be the second half of day one. Hope you enjoyed the update, and don't worry, Bella hasn't forgotten about Holmes. She's just...distracting herself to ease the pain. My Bella has a little bit of a defensive mean streak. Hope you guys like her as much as I do.<strong>

**Namaste!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Namaste!**

**I'm glad you all liked the long update. I would say I enjoyed it too, but it just flat out confused me for a few hours. haha, anyway, we are back to our regular ten page updates until later. This chapter is centered around the second half of Day 1 along with the after event (which entails teenage substance abuse), entering into Day 2. Oh, and by the way...there is a very hot Bellice flare thrown somewhere in here. Bout damn time, too. Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks even more to those who review for me. It makes my whole day to read them, even the one liners.**

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><p>"Hey, Bella!" Alice yelled to catch her friend's attention. The girl spun around, only to get two handfuls of very wet sand thrown onto her. "Ha! I got you!"<p>

"No way!" The brunette bent down and scooped some of the mud that Emmett had made with bottled water into her hands, throwing it wildly at the pixie who seemed to dance around her projectiles. "I'll get you!"

"Nooo!" The tiny surfer ran away from the main-lander, who gave chase. She managed to catch her and tackle her to the floor, getting handfuls and rubbing in into Alice's hair. "Oh MY GOD!"

_FLASH_

"I told you I would get you." Bella laughed, laying more sand on the girl before getting up and turning to walk away. Alice sputtered as she tried to wipe the sandy muck off her body, pouting after Bella. The girl turned around and winked, before going over to Rosalie, who had watched the entire scene with a huge grin.

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><p>"So, why aren't your parents staying for the bonfire?" Bella watched as Esme, Carlisle and Violet climbed into Emmett's Jeep and rolled off, possibly towards home.<p>

"They are the type of parents who go to bed at nine o'clock." Alice giggled, "That, and they don't much like the after events. Too many drunk teenagers and orgies for them. They prefer a quiet night of relaxation."

"Funny, I like the same thing." The brunette chuckled, "Anyway, where-"

A loud explosion sounded, and Bella automatically ducked for cover, almost screaming in terror. She covered her ears and whimpered, eyes tearing up. That was really close to where they were if it hurt her ears this badly!

"Hey, Jackasses!" Emmett glared at a couple of boys who were tossing small metal cans of gasoline into smaller bonfires, "Quit your shit, or I'll seriously hurt you!"

"Sorry!"

"Hmph. Boys." Rosalie rolled her eyes and looked at their brunette friend worriedly, "Are you alright, Bella?"

"Y-Yeah, that was just the..." She stood up, clutching at Alice, who looked severely pissed off, "loudest noise I think I've ever heard. That was scary."

"Sorry about that. I didn't think the La Push kids were stupid enough to blow gasoline cans up." Edward placed a soothing hand on Bella's shoulder, rubbing slightly. "We'll go someplace quieter."

"Well, well, well..." A husky voice sounded from behind the Cullens, and everyone spun around to look at the owner of said voice. "If it isn't our very own Gidget, here to steal the show as usual."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our very own wannabe Moondoggie, here to give the show to me, as usual." The pixie growled, "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to say a nice 'Hello', to your new love interest there." He waved at her in a slightly gay fashion, and Bella wrinkled her nose, "She's a looker, Gidget. Best make sure she's well...taken care of...or else someone else might come in and take over."

"I doubt that." Bella retorted. "Why don't you go take care of the redhead of your group? Victoria? She's clearly not satisfied with you, she's off screwing other people. I'd hate to end up as dissatisfied as her by going with you."

"OHH! BURN!" Emmett slapped his knee, "EAT IT, SON!"

"Watch it, girl!" He snapped, eyes darkening, "You don't want James to get mad."

"You're so manly, you speak about yourself in third person. Gee whizz, I'm certainly missing out, aren't I? Were you touched as a child? Or are you just _touched_ in the head?" Bella rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't even associate with idiots like you. It might rub off on me telepathically. Oh, wait! You might be too stupid to do even that."

"OH MY GOD!" Emmett was clutching at his stomach, tears rolling down his cheeks, "RO-ROSIE STOP HER! I-I'M DYING!"

"Listen here, you little bitch," James came up close to Bella, nose flaring, and the brunette grinned, bringing her fist down and up diagonal, sending him the ultimate uppercut. He fell backwards, clutching at his face. "UGH! MY THUNG!"

"WAHH!" Emmett fell to the floor, roaring now. "OH GODDD!"

"What is it with everyone and calling me or Alice a bitch?" Bella yelled, standing over the cowering James. "I'm sick of it already!"

"Bella!" Alice shook her head, shocked, once again, by Bella's capacity. "Come on. He isn't worth it."

"That's the thing that gets me! He isn't worth the dirt on his shoes!" She sighed, surrendering to the small surfer as she was pulling her away from the bleeding and whimpering blond. Rosalie pulled Emmett to his feet and dusted him off, following Jasper and Edward and Seth.

"That was so cool, Bella!" Seth skipped ahead of the two females, walking backwards while gushing to her, "Oh, your fist came up so...augh! I wish I had recorded it so you could have seen it!"

"Let's go to our bonfire and relax. I'm already...actioned out, for today." Bella huffed and threw herself down on a log that surrounded the Cullen's bonfire. There were some fans standing on the outskirts of it, whispering and giggling like...fan girls. Oh god. "Are they really going to stand around all night?"

"No, they usually come up to the fire and chill with us." Jasper cracked a smile at the girls who were looking at him appreciatively. "They are usually cool. They won't bother you unless you show interest."

"Interest?" Bella snorted, "In what? Talking?"

All of the Cullens aside from Alice laughed a little loudly. When they got it out of their systems, they all grinned at her.

"No, Bella-Bear." Emmett shook his head. "They come for sex."

"W-What?" She looked shocked, "B-But you're all couples!"

"Doesn't mean we can't have a little fun now and then." Rosalie sat next to Bella and looked at her seriously, "These girls come from around the world, Bella. And not to just watch us."

"That's..." Her eyes widened, spinning around to look at Alice, "Have you been...?"

"I-I'm not proud of it, Bella." Her golden eyes were wary, "But when you're alone as long as I've been...It's hard to not fall into the trap these people set up."

"Then, don't let me stop you. I-I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back." Alice's eyes widened as she tried to reach out for her friend. The brunette turned around to look at the fire for a few seconds before standing up and sprinting away from the Cullens and their huge bonfire.

"BELLA!" The girls all began to shout in confusion before turning their attention back to Alice and her family. Bella didn't stop running. She kept going, until she got to a dark, almost clear part of the beach. She stayed away from the water and sat down quietly. She could still see the Cullen's bonfire from where she sat, so she knew she'd be able to find her way back later.

She looked out at the water. It looked much the same as when she was forced out here by Jacob. She sighed, and buried her face in her hands.

Why did she freak out about Alice having sex with other people? She didn't know about Bella before. She didn't...she couldn't have expected her to hold off on her own needs. There was no way, because that would be hypocritical. She herself couldn't hold off. Though, she had been doing fairly well going cold turkey here in Forks.

She'd gone on a little over a month without sex, and she was damn proud of it. But Alice didn't make that type of commitment to herself. The brunette wondered how she was able to keep her hands off of her, given that she'd been around Bella for around three weeks, and they hadn't gone past...hell, they hadn't even kissed. Though, there was that one time when they were in their underwear...

"I shouldn't hold her back from that." She stood up, brushing sand off her ass. "I think she should be able to enjoy herself. Who knows, maybe I can, too. I've been a good girl."

She ran her hand through her hair, fluffing it slightly as she jogged back to the bonfire, where the fangirls and boys moved quickly for her to get by. When she saw Alice, she saw her worrying on her bottom lip, her fingers clenched tightly to her knees, squeezing. She looked much like a new, nervous father in the waiting room of a hospital.

**"Hey, boys and girls! I'm baaack!" **The DJ was on a roll. Bella could only smile at his words, and the irony of it. **"Let's get this party started!"**

"Bella, you're back!" Emmett practically leapt on the brunette, making her laugh, "We told you not to go off by yourself!"

"Sorry, Em. I just needed a few minutes to think." She tilted her head, "Got anything to drink?"

"Uh, I don't have any soda or anything." He frowned, "There's a minor snack bar over by the party semi, I can go with you-"

"That wasn't what I was asking you for." She spotted the huge cooler a few feet away from them, and bit her lip, "I already know what I want."

"Oh, uh..." He blinked, not knowing if she was serious or not, "Cooler is full."

"Thanks." The bear pulled his big hands off Bella's shoulders, and the girl walked over to the cooler, pulling the lid open. "So how do you party, Emmett? Rose?"

"Well...we drink..and then we..uh, dance around and flirt with girls and she flirts with boys?" The biggest Cullen wrung his hands, "Bella, are you sure you want to do this? I don't want your first time drinking to be out in public."

"I never said this was my first time..." She winked at him, "At anything."

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Jasper stood up, shock painting his features. "You-You!"

"That's right." Bella nodded, finding what she knew they'd have. "Can't live in Phoenix and not party, baby."

"Wait, Bella," Alice stood up, moving over to her and placing a soft hand on her arm, "You shouldn't do this."

"Do what? I'm just partying. Nothing bad about that...and if I seemed upset earlier...I was being a hypocrite. Don't listen to anything I say tonight, though, okay?" She simpered, "Now, tell that DJ to pump that shit."

"YEAHH!" The girls around the bonfire cheered loudly, hearing the girls screaming, and in turn, turning the volume up at almost max.

"Love this song, too. I think I lost my virginity to this song." LMFAO's Shots was playing loudly, and Bella shrugged, pulling a clear bottle of Bacardi's Torched Cherry rum. "This is adorable."

"Hmph. Rosie's girly drinks." Emmett shrugged, smiling slightly, "She likes it mixed with Sprite or juice."

"That's a good way to drink it." Alice's eyes widened when her not-so-secret love screwed the cap off the bottle and tipped it up over her head, the mouth of the bottle in Bella's mouth. Her throat contracted and relaxed as she swallowed down the alcohol without breaking a sweat or gagging. Sweat beaded off that perfect neck, and Alice felt her arousal kicking in.

Bella could hear the girls around her cheering, and the boys chanting, 'Chug' over and over. Though, that was so high school. She brought the bottle down and swallowed what was left in her mouth, a bit of it running down the right side of her mouth. She brought her hand to her ribs, running it down before it reached her bikini bottoms.

"That's an even better way to drink it." She tilted the bottle this way and that, the liquid sloshing around in it. "Anyone want any? Rosalie?"

The blond knew a challenge when she saw one, and stepped up to it.

She snatched the bottle from the brunette's hands and tilted it up, only able to swallow five times before gagging and pulling the bottle back, away from her mouth, her nose wrinkling. "Definitely better with Sprite."

Bella laughed where she stood, brought her arms up hear her chest, elbows bent outward, fists closed. **"...shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots..!" **Bella pumped her shoulders and elbows, shaking her ass as she moved her body to the bass pumped music. Alice fidgeted as she watched the girl move.

**"Now where my alcoholics, let me see your hands up!" **Bella threw her arms up and swayed her hips, Rosalie doing the same, as did a bunch of the people in the fan-group.

Emmett reached his meaty hands into the cooler and pulled out girly wine coolers, tossing them to some of the girls surrounding them. "Drink up, Ladies! And for the guys, here we go."

Jasper helped him distribute beer to the boys around them, not handing one to anyone who looked too young. Like Seth.

"I'll have some of that." Alice said loudly as she took the bottle from her sister, who practically thrust the thing at her. "Thank you."

She turned to Bella and sighed aloud, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I know this," She gestured around, "Is something you guys like to do. I also, like to do it. It's been too long since I've partied. It's also been too long..." She leaned over to whisper in the tiny girl's ear, "Since I've had a good time...if you know what I mean."

Alice blushed darkly. Was that an invitation? It sounded like one.

"If you can keep up with me..." She leaned even closer, blowing softly into the pixie's sensitive ear, "You can sleep over tonight."

She shuddered, a gush of familiar fluid soaking her bikini bottom. Hopefully nobody would notice it. Hell, even if they did, could anyone blame her?

"Then, you best be ready for me." Alice purred back, "Because I won't stop until I'm there."

"Great." A swift lick later, Alice was almost on the ground whimpering. Her fingers tingled to go somewhere special to relieve the pressure she was under. "See you there."

Alice's grip tightened on the bottle, and just as she was going to bring it up to her lips, Jasper stopped her. "What?"

"Ali, seriously think about this." The pixie bit her lip hard, eyes glaring.

"I have."

"No, you haven't." He frowned, brows furrowing, "How is she going to feel in the morning? How is she going to feel in the morning with you lying naked beside her, and absolutely no memory of what happened?"

"Jazz, do you always have to-"

"Yes, Ali. I do." He turned her to look at Bella, who was already drinking out of another bottle. Holy shit, is that _tequila_? "Ask her to slow down or stop. I know you can influence her. Talk her into stopping."

"B-But...shit..." Alice sighed, still holding the bottle. "I really wanted to..."

"I know...but imagine how much more special it would be if you were both sober and conscious for it. Able to remember it." He patted her ass gently. "She adores you, Alice. Don't let her do something stupid out here. It's bad enough that Emmett is encouraging her."

"You'll talk to him?" She asked over her shoulder at him, and he nodded. "Good."

"Go talk to her now." He shoved her in the other girl's direction, but froze when another girl got brave and sauntered up to Bella, sweet talking her, no doubt.

"Hey...I'm Brianna." The girl was bleach blond with the fakest set of boobs that Alice had ever set her eyes on. She also had a fat ass. Her makeup was smeared.

_'Holy fuck, Alice! Get ahold of yourself! You never insult people, your too good for that!' _Alice whined to herself, _'you're just looking for flaws in any girls who try to go for Bella. That's all.' _

Damn right she was.

She walked up behind Brianna, and put a hand on her shoulder, shoving her backwards until she was on her ass in the sand.

"And I'm Alice." She smiled widely at the girl. The smile turned into something scarier, if the girl's expression was anything to go by, "You'd better keep your hands off of this one. She's mine."

"O-Okay." The girl scrambled for the cover of the other fan girls, and the tiny surfer turned to Bella, who was tipping over slightly.

"Does anyone have...a lighter?" Bella asked suddenly, making everyone look at her in confusion. "Hellooo? A lighter? You light cigarettes with one?"

"We know what a lighter is." Edward chuckled, "But none of us smoke."

"I've got one." A boy from the crowd handed it to Bella, "You can keep it."

"Gee, thanks." She blew him a kiss, and the boy backed up, blushing. "Now then."

"Hey, what are you-" Rosalie actually was questioning the girl's motives, but when she flicked the lighter on, taking a swig of the tequila, everyone hit the deck. She held the lighter away from her face and spat the tequila up into the air, the alcohol of it catching fire instantly.

**"Whoa! What's going on over at the Cullen party? Woo!" **The DJ had seen the flame, and Bella just snapped the lighter closed, and handed it back to the boy, who looked at it with a new light.

"Bella SWAN!" Alice tackled her friend-come-love, and pinned her down, "Are you trying to kill people?"

"Ali, I do that at parties all the time!" She whined, "I'm a professional by now."

"Bella, please..." amber eyes locked on light browns, "I am begging you right now. Please...no more. Don't drink any more."

"But, I want toooo..." Bella blinked and tried to concentrate on Alice's face. When she finally realized what she had been doing, she snapped out of the haze, one hand going to Alice's face, bringing her forehead down on her own. "Oh god..."

"Bella...?" the tiny surfer curled closer to the other girl's body and sighed. "Please?"

"I won't. I won't drink more. God, I almost..." She shook her head slightly, biting the inside of her cheek, "Thank you for stopping me."

"What would have happened...if I hadn't stopped you?" She whispered sadly. Bella cuddled even closer to the little surfer and kissed her forehead.

"Dance with me?" The smaller girl nodded, before standing up and helping the taller one up. When they were up, they listened to the loud music the obnoxious eighteen wheeler was pumping. It was a good song. It was Lupe Fiasco's 'The Show Goes On'.

Bella wrapped her arms around Alice's waist, swaying back and fourth at her own pace, bringing the taut body closer. They were pressed flush together, and she leaned her forehead forward, Alice's hair moving out of the way and sticking up between their foreheads.

They locked eyes, and refused to look away, even when all the fans were booing at the loss of Crazy Drinking Bella and Still Unbearably Single Alice. They held each other close; and even when the songs changed, and the people around them continued drinking and getting fucked up, they never stopped or stepped away from each other.

At around two in the morning, Bella and Alice helped Emmett and Rosalie off the floor, pulling them with the help of Jasper and Edward. They needed to get as much sleep as possible. Now that they were settled in the competition, they wouldn't need to wake up before four o'clock.

Bella drove Rosalie's Mercedes Benz SLR back to the Cullen's rented house, dropping Emmett off with Jasper's help, and soon enough, Alice drove into the driveway with Rosalie and Edward. When the couple was deposited in bed, the other couple broke away from the two girls, bidding them a good night.

They made a pit stop at Alice's bedroom, packing a small bag, and going back out to the Mercedes. The drive over was silent, other than the soft, almost inaudible purr of the car they were sitting in.

Alice's fingers sought Bella's, and the brunette's gripped the shorter girl's fingers swiftly, interlacing them and squeezing gently. They would look at each other in the corners of their eyes once in a while, and smile gently in response to catching the other looking.

When they arrived at Bella's deathly quiet home, they let themselves in and walked straight up the stairs and into the empty bedroom. It was cleared out, and the bed was made...

"I didn't make the bed this morning, did I?" the taller girl asked as she looked on in confusion. "I wonder if my dad did it..."

"Well, whoever did it, I'm sleeping in it." Alice's shoulders slumped tiredly, "But...I want to take a shower before I pass out."

"Go ahead. I'll go next." Bella whispered as she sat down on the bed, smoothing the comforter with her hand, as if in a trance. "But make it quick."

"Alright." Alice took her bag with her and was off to shower. She couldn't have taken longer than five minutes, but when she came back out to Bella's bedroom, the girl was already under the covers, her chest rising and falling in a sleep rhythm. She couldn't help but chuckle, and crawl under the covers with her. "Bella..."

The brunette rolled over and pulled the young surfer to her side. "Mmmm...Ali..."

"Good night, Bella." She placed a soft kiss on the other girl's cheek and snuggled close.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Alice – Tuesday Morning – Surfing Competition Day 2<strong>

"AHH!" Alice and Bella screamed, falling off the bed in a tangled heap, yelping in fear. "I GOT YOU!"

"Ugh. Emmett! Too early!" Alice whined, covering her ears, "What time is it? And how are you not hung over?"

"I am." He grinned, "I'm just...not like a mere mortal. I can handle this shit. Now get up! It's already six!"

"Four hours? Seriously? Four hours?" Bella growled, standing up and not caring the condition her clothing was in, "I-I...oh god."

"What?" Alice looked over at her and frowned, "It's early, I know...but why the religious exclamations?"

"It's barely day 2, and I already hate it." She chuckled, scratching her scalp. "Well, I'm going to take a shower now, since I didn't get one last night."

"Alright." Alice looked at the henna on Bella, "You'll want to slowly peel that off. Use some oil based soap or something, and it should come off."

"Can I call you in a few minutes to help me with the ones on my back? I can't reach those." She hadn't meant anything by it, but both girls couldn't help but blush. "Uh, I mean, if you aren't comfortable-"

"No, no...it's fine." She smiled sheepishly, "Go ahead to the shower. I'll be there in a few minutes. Let me just show my brother out."

"Okay." Bella took a towel and whipped it around herself, accidentally smacking her ass with it. She yelped, and kept walking, not wanting to look at the expressions both Cullen children would give her. She entered the bathroom and stripped down quickly. Wasn't too hard, considering she was only wearing her bikini from the night before. This one was a dark blue, different from the one the morning before.

Before the after events started, Alice forced her to change her bathing suit. Ugh. Little fashionista.

She turned the water on and glanced down at the peeling paint on her hips, her finger touching the edge of one lightly. She grabbed a bottle of baby oil that she kept in the cabinet for emergencies, and rubbed some onto her inner hip ink, gently rubbing it until it came off fairly easily.

She repeated the process with the ones on her side, smiling at the orangey shaded skin. It took her a few minutes to get through the unique, very detailed work, but she was able to do it before the water heater ran out.

"Alice!" She yelled out loud, knowing full well that the tiny pixie would be able to hear her. She pulled her towel to cover her front ends, just as the door opened timidly. She peeked in, and when she caught a glimpse of Bella's bare ass, she nearly fell backward. "Alice? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute." The small surfer brought her head back out of the bathroom and took a deep breath before entering the tiny bathroom entirely, "Can you sit on the toilet, facing the wall?"

Bella nodded, letting the seat down and sitting herself down. Alice reached for the baby oil, dabbing some of it onto her hand, scraping gently against the taller girl's back. She swept Bella's hair over the girl's shoulder as she worked, humming a small tune as she went.

"There. All done." She stepped back to appreciate her work, and smiled, "It came out great! Such nice color."

"Thanks?" Bella chuckled, standing up, almost tripping on a piece of clean toilet paper on the floor. She knew it was clean, because her family flushed paper. She threw her arms out to catch her fall, letting the towel go accidentally.

Alice's hands caught the towel and secured it around the girl's chest before turning around quickly and leaving the bathroom. When she was out in the hallway, she thumped her head hard against the wall and whimpered, the apex of her thighs tingling something fierce.

Her hands shook, and she ran her fingers though her hair over and over, trying to calm down. It didn't help matters when Bella seemed to step into the spray of the water, moaning quite loudly in pleasure. She hissed, her fingers dying to beat out tension from her special place.

_'Fuck it. I need it.' _Alice ran back into Bella's room, slamming the door shut before leaning against it and sticking her hands down her small cotton shorts. Her free hand snaked up her shirt, cupping one of her breasts hurriedly. She squeezed it, and moaned quite loudly. She bit her lip to keep from getting _too _loud.

She knew Charlie and Leslie weren't home, but that didn't mean that she could be as lewd as she wanted to be. And she knew, from experience, that she could be very loud. Her siblings had fun proving it to her and making fun of her for it for months after the initial event.

She whimpered, her hand in her pants working a little harder when she didn't seem to get enough friction. She wished it wasn't her hands doing these things to her, but what could you do? She swept her finger over a particularly sensitive area down there, and she moaned, slamming her head back as she tilted her face up, her jaw unable to stay closed no matter how much pressure she applied.

_'Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck...Bella...Bella...' _She didn't realize that her internal chanting had been channeled out of her mind and into her mouth. She gasped and timidly stuck one of her hard working fingers into a warm place, her legs moving farther apart. _'Jesus, it's too early for this!' _

She panted, the hand on her breasts moving to the other and pinching her nipple. "Ahh...oh..oh..." Her hand was caught in some fabric of her shorts, and she whined in annoyance and yanked her shorts down, exposing herself to the cool air of the room.

"Mmm...ah...oh.." Her finger was paired with another, and she pushed them into herself, whimpering even louder than before. She closed her eyes and envisioned a very naked Bella, sprawled out on a bed. That image helped move things along, certainly. The second image was a whole other thing entirely.

It was Bella with her face buried between her legs, licking her relentlessly.

"Oh god...Bella..." She panted loudly, moaning just as loudly, "Bella..."

Back in the shower, things were getting just as heated. Bella was already sitting on the tub floor, working her hands tirelessly. She moaned loudly, once in a while moving her hand to sweep her hair out of her eyes, but then moving it back instantly to work her again.

"Jesu-Oh God..." Bella whined loudly, her neck straining as she tried to keep from screaming, "Oh...oh...A-A...ugh..." She bit down on her lip a little too hard, but not drawing blood, "Fuck me...fuck me! Fuck me! Agh!"

"Shit, shit shit..." She leaned back further, pausing when she heard a thump and a loud moan. Alice. _'Is she okay? Jesus, I was so worked up... I need to get out!' _

She got out of the water, grabbing a towel quickly, throwing it around herself without turning the water off. She got to her bedroom door, which was closed, and she knocked, hearing another loud moan that sent heat down to her already superheated core.

"Bella..." _'Ooooh...I get it now.' _She blushed, knocking once again on the door. There was a jump against the door, and a quick shuffling as she stepped away from it. Bella pushed it open, light brown eyes locking on guilty amber ones.

"Alice, are you," Her eyes drifted down to a half covered lower body. A fluid was leaking down one of her pale thighs, and she couldn't help but lick her lips. She looked up once again, to now darkened golden eyes. "Huugh..." She huffed, moving to pin the smaller girl against the wall.

"B-Bella..." The pixie shivered in delight, "Bella..."

The brunette grabbed the pixie's right hand and moved it back between the smaller girl's pale thighs, pushing them open with her knees. She could feel her hand go right back to work, and she moaned in pleasure when Alice's mouth opened a little, eyes hazy.

"Bella, Bella..!" Her pale column of a throat was exposed at once, but Bella made no move to take things even further. A liquid squelching noise filled the air, as did a heady scent that was driving the taller girl wild. That was all Alice. _'Fuck...' _

Her right hand drifted between the two of them, her fingers entering her own body easily. She laid her forehead against the shorter girl's shoulders, her nose touching the girl's collarbone softly as she breathed through it.

Her fingers danced inside her as the whimpers and moans of the other girl lit her on fire. She moaned aloud when Alice shifted, her exposed thigh rubbing against another, their arms rubbing against each other as they pleasured themselves.

"Oh god..." Bella couldn't help but push herself flush against the other girl, nuzzling into the pale throat, groaning aloud. "Fuck."

Their wrists touched now as they moved with a new-found vigor. They were close.

Bella thrust her hips against Alice's, adding to the sensations, and soon enough, a familiar tightening was beginning in her lower belly. She moaned loudly, not caring if anyone heard her now. Alice felt much the same, as she now was an octave short of screaming.

"Oh Bella, Bella! Oh, Bella, God..." Alice thrust against the other girl now, tears streaming down her face, "Fuck, Bella, FUCK ME, BELLA!"

"Ali..Ali..." The brunette slammed harder against Alice and cried out as the stretching band in her belly finally snapped, sending her over the edge. "FUCK!" She bit down on Alice's shoulder, making the other girl cry out and shoot her straight into her own orgasm. She screamed fairly loudly, and it was incredibly erotic to Bella, who felt ready for another go, only trade out the hands.

The pixie mewled softly, whimpering and slumping against the barely covered Bella. Her face was pink, panting in her afterglow. She was beautiful, in Bella's personal opinion. The two girls pulled away from each other, Bella's face paling.

She left the shower on. Fuck. She moved out of the room quickly, and Alice stripped off the rest of her clothes, pulling her new bikini on for the day. Here was another thing they weren't going to talk about. Of course.

"What color is it going to be today?" Bella asked as she walked in still wrapped in her towel, but clearly cleaned up of her own fluids between her legs. She had a wet rag in her hands, and instead of handing it over to Alice for her to clean herself up, she knelt in front of her, wiping slowly and gently. "Ali?"

"Wha?" She turned her dazed and seriously confused golden eyes to her beloved's chocolates.

"The color of our swim suits? What color are they supposed to be today?" She swiped a little high, and smiled sheepishly when Alice moaned aloud, almost hitting her head on the wall again. "Sorry."

"R-Red. The color is red." She placed a hand on the hand that Bella was using to clean her off, "Please...let me do that."

"Okay." She handed her the rag and stepped back, her hands up as to not startle her or anything. "I'm...uh, gonna go change."

"I'll be here." Alice nodded, her cheeks still very red. When the other girl fished her red bathing suit out of her box, she left the room as quickly as before. _'Damn it, Alice. She was trying to keep it from getting awkward, and you made it awkward. You scared her off.'_

She muttered underneath her breath and sighed, digging her fingers into her thighs. _'That shouldn't have happened. If it was going to happen, it should have happened like...a week or something from now! Not the next freaking day!' _She bit her lip and dropped her bikini bottom to clean a little more thoroughly.

When Bella came back, she was dressed and ready to go, her hair slightly curly from the shower she'd taken.

"Your hair curls when wet?" Alice touched a lock of it, noting the flinch the other girl did. "I'm sorry..I shouldn't have..."

"No, it's okay." She frowned, hugging herself."I just didn't think you were going to speak to me, is all."

"Why would I not talk to you?" The pixie pouted, "You didn't do anything wrong. Only when you do something to make me mad, will I not talk to you."

"What happened earlier doesn't count as something to make you mad? I mean, I walked in here, fully aware of what you were doing." The brunette snorted, "If I was you, I would be furious."

"Well, you aren't me. And I'm not furious." The surfer nodded to herself, "Nope. Still not mad."

"It's time to leave already. We've spent too much time here already." Bella flicked her damp curls over her shoulder and walked out of the room, Alice following closely behind her.

When they climbed into the car, Alice refused to turn it on.

"Are we going to talk about what happened?" Her golden eyes searched her best friend's face for anything, any sort of clue that could tell her how Bella had felt about what had transpired. She found nothing, as usual.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Flat browns stared right at her, and she gulped. Loudly. "Because if its just going to..."

"What?" Alice pressed.

"If it's going to change things between us for the worst, I don't care much to speak about it. I'd rather pretend it didn't happen if it's going to be bad for _us._" Bella crossed her arms over her chest and glared out the window.

"Hey, don't turn this on me." Alice pouted, "Don't you get all hissy on me. This was the both of us, and I never got mad, so I don't understand why you're acting the way you are. Usually when things like that happen, people tend to be happier."

"You're right." Bella sighed, turning to look at her pleadingly, "Don't be upset at me. I just...don't know how to react right now. I wasn't thinking when I just...went into the room...and then you were there, and you smelled so good..."

"I smelled good?" the pixie simpered, "How did I smell?"

"Oh, don't get me started." The taller girl smirked back, "Just know that I'm going to be particularly harsh to anyone who comes too close to you now. Probably for the rest of the day, too."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeahhh, Baby! Anyway, there is your update and the hot little smidgen that you've all probably been waiting for. Bella's single now, and she can do whatever she wants now. So let the games begin! As always, thanks for reading, thanks even more for reviewing! <strong>

**Namaste!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Namaste!**

**Thanks for the 100+ reviews~! It seriously made my morning a little brighter! **

**Yeah, my Bella is cool in a really realistic and teenaged/adult way. They let things get awkward before because...they figured they were just friends...and now? Ha, not even I know. I figure you guys are thinking that Bella has forgotten about Holmes and all, but she hasn't. I just don't want my Bella and Alice, and Bellice essentially, to suffer heartache for the entire surfing competition period. Ya get me?**

**Anyway, get straight on to the reading, guys! what are you reading this crap for?**

* * *

><p>"Nice of you to join us, ladies." Emmett raised a brow at the way the girls seemed to move together. "Niiiceee."<p>

"What?" Bella looked confused, but she knew the look the bear of a Cullen was giving them. "Oh, please."

"Hey, I didn't say anything." He winked at her and turned to Rosalie, who was grinning like mad. "Rosie, do you think it's time to get ready to go? We've got like five minutes."

"Yeah, that would be most...pleasurable." Her blond hair had never been so tempting to cut before as it was now. Emmett roared as he laughed, swatting Edward's back.

"Ow." He whined, rubbing his back, "Take it easy, Em."

"Hey, Bella. Still with them, are you?" Jacob walked up to them and frowned, "You know, I was tempted to tell your dad about your little performance last night."

"I don't really care." Bella blinked her eyes as she hugged Alice from behind, her chin resting on the other girl's shoulder. "Can't bring me down today."

"...What?" Jacob's eyes went from Alice to Bella, and back a couple of times. He seemed to shake his head and then look back at the two of them. "No way."

"Way, now go a-way." She chuckled, and Jacob stomped his foot in the sand.

"There's no way in fuck your gay, Bella!" This called the attention of almost everyone within a twenty foot radius, and they all looked at Bella and Alice with new eyes. "No fucking way!"

"Jacob, please, you're acting like an idiot." She rolled her eyes at her ex-best friend. "Seriously."

"Bella, we're meant to be together! When will you understand that? I did _not _spend the past eighteen years of my life trying to get you to like me for nothing! No way!" He seemed to pace, running his hands through his hair, "I...I'm going to tell your dad! That's what I'll do!"

"Go ahead." Bella didn't care, and nuzzled her nose into soft black, sans gel spikes, pressing a kiss to the scalp beyond the hair. "You still smell nice."

Alice giggled, "Thank you."

"Ugh. That's disgusting!" Jacob walked up to the two giggling girls and was going to shove them or something equally childish, when Emmett pushed in front of him, glaring like a papa bear.

"Where you going?" Emmett placed a beefy hand on Jacob's shoulder, making him flinch. "You stay away from my girls. You hear me, Black?"

"Whatever." He spat at Emmett, and the bear just let him. He'd get his, no doubt. "Bella, you're fucking disgraceful."

"You probably don't know what that means." She chuckled and then whispered in the other girl's face, "You, however, are full of grace."

"Why, aren't you just full of compliments today?" Alice turned around in the girl's arms, "I like that. Keep 'em coming."

"Oh, she plans to." Emmett guffawed, and Rosalie couldn't help but laugh too. That was just too funny! "So, how was it last night?"

"Last night? You mean, this morning." Bella nodded, and Alice blushed darkly, swatting the girl's shoulder with a shocked face.

"Bella!" She tackled the girl and covered her mouth with her hand, "Don't say anything to Emmett!"

"Why?" She tried to say through the small hand over her mouth.

"Because he'll tease us all day!" Her amber eyes were full of mirth, and Bella couldn't help but chuckle quietly, "I don't think you can survive that!"

"Oh, I think I can." She sat up, bringing the other girl with her into a seated position. She blushed when she realized she was sitting on the taller girl's lap, "Or...are you ashamed of me?"

"No, no. I'm not." She giggled, "On the contrary, I am quite proud of you."

"Perfect." They laid their foreheads together, blushing softly.

_FLASH_

"The same as yesterday, Bella, I caught you in a seriously cute moment!" Angela gushed, "And look whose here with me today!"

"Hey, Bella! It's been forever since I've seen you!" Jessica practically jumped on the couple, "God, I've missed you!"

"I missed you too, Jess." She pushed the girl away from her and stood up, bringing the tiny surfer up with her. "You remember Alice."

"Of course. There's no way in hell I'd ever be able to forget someone like her." Jessica chuckled, "Oh, where is Micheal?" She glanced around curiously, "He was just here..."

"Here I am!" Said boy came out from behind Emmett. He had been talking to him, apparently, "Did you see that guy? He's huge!"

"A man's man, apparently." Jessica smiled, waving at Emmett, who waved back. "Angela, how are the waves looking today?"

"They look great! Perfect for riding! Not like yesterday, just some rather small skimming," The tallest girl adjusted her glasses, "I'm in suspense of a great surfing day, guys."

"We are, too." Alice yawned, "If only I could stay awake."

"How many hours did you sleep last night?" Eric gaped, "I figured you guys would have conked out early or something. You guys _are _the main event around here."

"We fell asleep at around two thirty." Bella yawned in contagion, "So...less than four hours."

"Jesus." Jessica frowned, "No wonder you guys look like death."

"He's certainly dressy and handsome." Rosalie sighed, "And that's because those two don't have hangovers like we do."

"You..." Angela palmed her forehead, "Nevermind."

"You get used to it after a while." Bella chuckled, "I'm already long used to their weirdness. It doesn't faze me anymore."

"Not yet it doesn't." Rosalie promised, "Great color of bathing suits, by the way! It's almost like we color coordinated."

"We did." Alice deadpanned.

"Oh." The blond smirked, "I suppose we did."

"We did." Bella reassured. "You even made a chart. Tomorrow is green."

"Well, shit." Rosalie just laughed, "Then yes. We did."

"What are we talking about again?" Emmett frowned. "Because all I'm hearing is 'We did.' over and over, and it's kinda giving me a headache. That might just be the hangover, though."

**"Aaaand Good Morning Olympia!" **The voice that came on was different than the one guy from yesterday. Sounded cuter, too. **"Welcome to Day 2 of the Surfing Competition! Today we will be doing single surfer heats, which means one member from each team. In today's lineup, the competitors go as follows."**

"Here we go." Alice muttered, rolling her eyes.

**"For the first round, we have The Cullen Five's Jasper Hale, The Traveling Trio's Laurent Gathegi, and The La Push Team's Jared!"**

"Great. The sooner I can get this done, the better I'll feel." Jasper sighed, dragging his board behind him. "I have such a huge headache, I don't even know if I can paddle this morning."

"That's what you get for drinking so much." Edward chuckled, but gasped jokingly when his boyfriend flipped him the bird. It had been Edward who talked him into drinking so much in the first place. "Baby, you wound me!"

It was apparent that it was Rock Genre Day, as they played Black Stone Cherry's White Trash Millionaire. Was that considered a racial thing against Jasper?

"Hey, has anyone seen Seth?" Emmett asked suddenly, and everyone felt a little guilty. They had forgotten all about the La Push kid their team was 'fostering' in stead of La Push. "I haven't seen him since last night."

"Let me go ask his sister where he is." Bella spotted Leah talking with Sam, and walked briskly in her direction. When she tapped her shoulder, the girl spun around casually, smiling at Bella, a little in shock.

"Hey, Bella. Nice to see you on the beach finally." She said nervously, and the pale brunette smiled back, and nodded.

"It's nice to be on the beach finally. Hey, I was just wondering if you'd seen Seth? We haven't seen him since yesterday." Bella bit her lip, "Nothing bad's happened, right? We're all worried."

"Nothing too bad. He's just got a mega hangover from last night. Kid dipped too hard into the hard liquor from our group last night. Said he's sorry, though. He feels really bad that he can't come and surf for you guys." She sighed, running her hands though her hair, "He couldn't even walk this morning. His said his head felt like it was going to explode."

"Oh, man. That's horrible. Well, tell him that we missed him, and to take some painkillers. That'll make him feel better in no time. Thanks for your help, Leah." Bella hugged her old friend, and walked back to her group. She could practically feel Jacob's glare on her back.

When she was back with the Cullens, they all but forced the information out of her.

"He drank too much. Sleeping it off." They all released the breath they were holding and relaxed. "He's got a dinosaur stomping on his head as we speak. He isn't coming today."

"That's fine, as long as the kid's alright." Edward smiled, "Look at my Jazz."

He was already surfing and kicking out his moves with precision. He looked amazing out there, and Bella made it a point to tell Edward that. Over and over again.

"He certainly does, doesn't he?" The bronze haired man smiled, "My Jazzy."

"You're so sappy." Emmett wrinkled his nose, "No wonder fan girls love it."

"You love it, too. So shut up." Green eyes twinkled. "Besides, Bella needs to learn it from somewhere."

"Anyway, that was _awkward._" Alice chuckled, "And I am leaving now."

"Oh? Why?" the bear of the Cullens frowned, "Where are you going?"

"They actually already called me up next. I'm surfing with Leah and Victoria." Everyone stiffened. Everyone except Bella. "What's with all the long faces?"

"Be careful?" Rosalie hugged her sister tightly, "I'd hate it if anything ever happened to you."

"Nothing is going to happen." She scoffed, "They're girls. What could they do to me?"

"We don't know Leah, and Victoria is a stone cold bitch. You do the math." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, "Please be careful."

"Leah won't do anything." The only brunette smiled, "She's one of my oldest friends, and she's seen me with Alice. She wouldn't dare do anything to her."

"Then...keep your front to Vicky." Emmett sighed, "Just in case."

"Got it. Bye, Bella." Alice winked and ran off, mesmerizing Bella with the way her ass cheeks bounced in her red bikini bottoms, surfboard over her head in her hands. _'Shiiiiiit.' _

"Hey, dude, you'll get sand in your mouth that way." Emmett laughed, slinging his thick arm around her thin shoulders, "Though, it isn't a bad way to go."

"Guys!" Jasper came up quickly, "That was wicked."

"What was?" Rosalie flicked her hair over her shoulder again. Totally Rosalie.

"Surfing to rock. It was amazing." He put a hand over his heart, "It was like having a direct line to your heart, and it made me surf even harder than normal. I scored perfectly."

"Awesome, dude." Emmett high-fived him, and Rosalie kissed his cheek happily, her leg popping up behind her in an obnoxious way. It was cute.

**"And there they go! The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen, The Traveling Trio's Victoria Howard, and the La Push Group's Leah!" **Bella idly wondered where the Latino guy from yesterday went. He's probably smashed, too. **"Whoa, what's this? A side surfer has accidentally drifted into Alice ****Cullen's path! Uh-Oh!"**

"WHAT?" Bella's eyes squinted to look out to where Alice was on what seemed to be a one-way path to crashing into another, way inexperienced, surfer. Just as she was going to touch down on him, she hard swerved, and rode up higher on the curve of the wave, coming back down just as the surfer was able to get out of the way. "Thank God."

**"That was close, Alice! Good maneuvering, girl!" **Yeah, no shit, Sher...uh...

"Ye of little faith, we are professionals. We don't get caught up in accidents like that." Jasper chuckled, throwing an arm around Bella, "Seriously, Alice is the best of us all. If anyone is going to get into an accident, it would be me or Emmett."

"This is our usual lineup, by skill. Alice, Me, Edward, Emmett, and then Jasper." Rosalie smiled, smacking her red bikini'd ass. "Oh, listen. This is a good song."

"Hells yeah." Emmett was tapping his fingers to the drums' beat. "Gotta love that girl."

"Who is this? She sounds familiar." Bella tapped her chin, "Really familiar."

"It's Halestorm. The song is called 'What Were You Expecting?' Kinda fitting, considering there are three women surfing right now." Emmett grinned, "We went to a concert once, and they all stood in a circle with the drums, beating down on them and actually playing a song and singing. It was awesome."

"They sing that song...It's Not You, right?" Bella blushed, "We sang that song once...back when we left the club."

"Ah, yes. Alice has their whole album on her iPod." Rosalie turned her blue eyes back out to the water, smiling when her sister was running at them once again. "Heads up."

"I got brownie points for missing that guy and not wiping out!" Alice shook her head, making Bella giggle, holding her hands up to protect her face. "Was I awesome today, too?"

"Of course you were. You look a lot like a...wild cat out there." The brunette cupped the pixie's cheek and smiled warmly, "Depends on the speeds you go. If you go fast and you bend low, you look like a cheetah. If your up high and you are half crouched, your thighs make you look like a panther."

"That's so cool. Nobody's ever told me that." She ran a hand through her messy, flat black locks, "Thank you, Bella."

"Hey, Surfer-Ali, incoming." Rosalie stood up straight as an equally wet and excited Leah came up to where they stood.

"Hey, Bella." Leah greeted, squeezing water from her hair with her hands before turning to grasp at one of Alice's little pale hands, "Alice, you were great out there! I don't know how you avoided that kid, but that was just...oh, it got me! You gotta show me how you did that sometime! Please?"

"You're an eager learner, just like your brother." Alice blinded the girl with a smile, and nodded, "I'd be happy to show you how. Maybe tonight, before the star-gazing?"

"That would be perfect, oh my god, I'm so happy, thank you so much!" Leah couldn't help herself but hug Alice tightly, "Gosh, I remember the first time I saw you on TV surfing in the Amateur Nationals! You were so tiny, the bigger surfers made fun of you... But I cheered you on! I did! And now, you're a LEGEND."

She ripped herself away from Alice, who was already turning blue from lack of oxygen, "Oh, I'm sorry! I just get really excited... Right, Bella?"

"Yeah...I REMEMBER THAT!" She yelled suddenly, her chocolate eyes lighting up, "I remember we both cried because that little surfer cried!"

"Wait, what?" Rosalie looked confused, "What the hell is going on?"

"I used to spend the nights and stuff at Leah's house during the summer when my dad would go fishing with Jacob's dad. We'd stay up all night and we even made these...oh, God, that's embarrassing! You threw them away, didn't you? Please say yes!" Bella laughed aloud, blushing. "During the day, we would turn on the sports channel, and surfing always seemed to be on at that time. We were watching it early on in the tournament, and we saw a little tiny girl, around our age, maybe younger, who was standing there in her little yellow one piece bathing suit, with little braids and her yellow longboard."

"And then these bigger boys were making fun of her, and she started to cry." Leah, always a softie at heart, started to cry. Seriously. And Bella wasn't far behind her. "But she whipped their asses easy!"

"What year and area was that?" Alice jumped excitedly, "Bella, you saw me surf before!"

"I barely remember it, Ali." She smiled sadly at her little surfer crush, "But Leah might remember."

"Of course I remember." She laughed, "And YES, I still have the shirts we made then. Hell, looking at our bodies now, they probably still fit! I'll bring them tomorrow. It was Summer of 2000, and you were on the Gold Coast beach of Australia."

"I remember that. Scariest time of my life! I was only nine! You made shirts to cheer me on, Bellaaaa?" Alice's golden eyes were soft and wide. She looked much like a kitten, all cute and adorable and such.

"Well, if that isn't the cutest thing ever, I must be blind." Rosalie cooed, "I want so badly to see these shirts. What do they have on them? Glitter? Glue? Foam dinosaurs?"

"Actually, our shirts were legit." Leah grinned proudly, "We made jerseys."

"You were how old?" Emmett laughed, "Ten! Eleven, tops."

"I was ten." Bella pouted, "But like she said, they were pretty legit. Before we put them in the 'Any' Time Capsule, we sealed them airtight in plastic bags and then in a box to protect the plastic that was protecting the shirts."

"That sounds pretty legit." Rosalie nodded. "Who is next? This dude better get his shit together already."

"Hey, guys, I gotta go, but I'll be around, okay?" Leah waved at them hurriedly, taking her board with her as she met up with her team before the next round started.

**"Aaaaaand it's time for the next round! The Powerhouses! The Cullen Five's Emmett is up, along with The Traveling Trio's James, and The La Push Group's Sam!"**

"It's about time for a challenge." Emmett punched his fists together like a boxer and grinned, "Let's get some, baby."

"Be careful, Emmett." Rosalie warned, "I love you."

"I love you too, babe." The bear threw his arms around his wife and practically stuck his tongue down her throat, causing her to make...noises. Bella and Alice gagged playfully, making throw up noises while everyone else just laughed. "I always have to be careful, because I have a hot babe waiting for me on the beach!"

"That's the spirit, Emmy!" Alice punched his arm, yelping and bringing her hand back to her chest. "Shit, it felt like hitting concrete!"

"That's because I _am _concrete." He threw his arms up and roared, powering up the fans that crowded the eighteen wheeler obnoxiouzoid. "Turn that shit up!"

The volume did indeed turn up, and everyone cheered louder than before. Emmett threw his board into the water, grinning like a fool as he beat James and Sam out, so he got to surf his waves first.

"It's like they knew..." Bella chuckled, "All American Nightmare? That's...Emmett."

"That it is." Rosalie whimpered, licking her lips. "Shit, I can't wait until he gets back. We're gonna go for a little hike in the woods."

"Dear Lord." Edward wrinkled his nose in amused disgust. "Even I am not that bad."

"Yeah, well, you don't have a vagina that enjoys getting plowed into." The blond bit her lip, squeezing her thighs together. "Jesus."

"I do like getting plowed into, though." He guffawed at the pale look on Rosalie's face, "And _boy does it feel good!_"

"Okay, the feeling is officially gone." She gagged, "That's so gross, Eddie."

"Well, you said the V word, and I didn't even say a dirty word." He shrugged, "So, your fault."

"Can we all just stop talking about it? Thank you." Alice sent her siblings dirty looks, and Jasper just tried to keep his breathing under control.

"Ooh, did you see that?" Bella jumped, hands at the sides of her head, "Shit, that must hurt!"

"What happened?" Edward stopped his grinning and looked panicked. "Is Emmett okay?"

"He's fine. He's already on the beach." Alice bit her lip. "It was James and Sam. They collided as they were speeding down the wave."

"Fuck..." Rosalie ran her hands through her hair, "Woodsy feeling is back."

"Great." Bella threw her a grin, "Have fun, yeah?"

"Fuck yes." As soon as Emmett was running at them, he seemed to catch Rosalie's 'bitch in heat' pheromones, and carried her straight into the thick trees. He didn't even tell them how he scored, but as far as they could hear...he was definitely scoring.

"Okay, I'm officially grossed out." Alice whimpered, "They sound like wild animals."

"That's because you haven't heard yourself." Jasper snickered, covering his mouth while hiding behind Edward, who laughed out loud. "You sound like a lioness roaring."

"You think so?" Bella spun around to face the two gay guys, face red in annoyance. "Because last I heard, she sounded like a _woman._"

"Oh shit."

"That's what I thought, Sparkles." They could hear Emmett laughing from their spot, and Rosalie's moan of frustration.

"God DAMN IT, EMMETT! FUCKING POUND ME!"

"Jesus, we have to leave the immediate area." Jasper sighed.

"I'm out of here already." Edward kissed his cheek before scurrying to his board and taking off for the water as if there was a fire under his ass. "Wish me luck!"

**"Next round is The Cullen Five's Edward Cullen, and...The Traveling Trio has no more members, so we will only be doing pairs now. From The La Push Group, please welcome Quil!" **The crowd of females cheered only when Edward's name was called, and all was silent for the La Push boy. Aww.

"Come on, ladies, you know I'm hot fun!" The boy in question pouted, almost kicking his board into the water. "What, you don't want me to surf, or what?"

Nobody answered that, so he frowned, cussing aloud.

"Fine! I forfeit!" Quil grit his teeth, stomping back to his group, getting bitched out almost immediately by Jacob. "Fuck, Jack, man, I don't stand a chance against him. Just leave me the fuck alone already. You made what was supposed to be fun into something of a revenge thing or whatever, and I hate it! I'm fucking leaving!"

Girls began to swarm him then, cooing about how he didn't have to leave, but if he wanted to, they would go along with him. How thoughtful.

Edward stood there as if to say, "What now?"

**"The judges have decided to replace Quil with Paul! Give it up, ladies! Here's one hunk of man, right here!" **A loud snort could be heard from the woods.

"Hurry up in there, it's getting weird!" Alice yelled over her shoulder, and a small scream could be heard. The pixie turned to Bella and whispered in her ear, "Would it be bad of me to think that's kinda...hot?"

"Not really. I think it is, too." The brunette grinned.

"I knew you guys were sickos." Jasper chuckled quietly, making both girls jump.

"Fuck off, Jasper." Bella muttered, much to the blond man's amusement.

"I would...if Edward was here." Fucking shit.

"Whatever." Alice giggled at him, waving him away in a 'shoo' motion."Go over there or something."

"And get closer to Tarzan and Jane? Yeah, right." Jasper settled between the two girls, getting snuggly fairly quickly. "Oh, this is nice."

"Glad you think so." The main-lander snorted. "Edward's on."

Three pairs of eyes trained themselves on the bronze haired gay of the family, watching his every move. He glided across the water as if he'd been born on it. It took Jasper's breath away, and he clutched at his heart.

"Hey, are you okay?" Bella asked slightly panicked, "Alice! The inhaler!"

"No, no, silly Bella." Alice pulled her hand to get her to leave the blond man alone, "He's awestruck with his love. Much like you get when you see me."

"But you don't know if I see you." Raised brow. "You always ask me."

"Oh, I ask, but I have seen you gawking at me, and to tell you the truth, when I see you watching, I always give it my all. Is why I've been scoring perfectly recently." She giggled, "You make me want to show you my best."

"Then, I'm glad you catch me watching you." The taller girl nodded happily, "I'm very glad."

"Perfect." They snuggled up closer to Jasper, who reached an arm around both girls, squeezing them, "Jazzy, you happy right now?"

"Just look at his face! He's so...it's erotic, almost." Bella nodded to his words. He knew what he meant fairly well. "Oh, and thanks for letting me sit between you. Makes me feel a little more loved, ladies."

"No problem." Bella leaned her head against his shoulder. "You're kinda soft."

"You're kinda soft, too." He chuckled, "Softer than Ali over here."

"I'm an athlete. I have to be hard and toned." She made her face scrunch together, "How else would I be able to wear bathing suits all the time? I'd get fat!"

"Are you trying to say something to me, Ali?" Bella half glared at her best friend. "Don't make me use your special nick name."

"Oh, the horror." Alice rolled her eyes. "And no, I wasn't saying anything. You look amazing in swim suits. You know you do."

"Of course. Doesn't mean that I mind hearing compliments." She sighed, "But if Ali-baby doesn't want to tell me nice things, I won't force her."

"A-Aww." Jasper squealed, squeezing both girls. "Did you just hear what she called you, Alice? She called you-"

"Bella, no fair." The pixie pouted, eyes watering, "You...I, you know you're beautiful! I think you're beautiful! And soft! I love soft! You're so soft, so I must-" She bit her tongue. She'd already said too much, damn it! "You're absolutely gorgeous."

"Why, thank you, Ali-baby. You're gorgeous too." Brown bangs fell into the owner's face, covering her eyes. "Ugh. This hair." She blew it up, revealing her eyes to adoring golden ones before her chocolates were covered by her hair once again. "I swear, I'm taking scissors to these things, first chance I get."

"Don't do that..." The tiny surfer giggled, "You'll get hair-cutter's syndrome."

"What does that even mean? Is that even real?" Bella pursed her lips. "Because I doubt that I would get that."

"It's what teenagers get when they cut their own hair for the first time. They want it to look different after they cut it a few days after they first cut it, so they take scissors to it every other day until there isn't any more hair." the pixie shrugged as best as she could underneath the muscled arm she was trapped by. "Though, I have never had that. My hair is professionally cut."

"Yeah, by our dear, sweet mother, and a butcher knife." Edward laughed as he caught up with everyone and kissed his boyfriend's lips. "You should have left your hair long, Ali."

"No. You guys kept pulling it when we were first learning how to surf. No way in hell was I going to keep it long for that." She bit her lip, "Jazz? Can you let us go now? My back is starting to hurt."

"Mine, too." Bella was turning red, "Except mine is already getting to the point of physical agony."

"Oh, right." He released them, and Bella had pulled back so quickly, she landed backward on the sand, legs spread eagle. "Sorry!"

Alice was there suddenly, hugging her with her hips between those widespread legs. "Maybe you should close your legs."

"Maybe you should let me close them. Then I would." The brunette chuckled, nuzzling into the tiny surfer's hair.

**"Time for the next heat! We have in our lineup, The Cullen Five's Rosalie Cullen and The La Push Group's Jacob! Yeahh!"**

A moan could be heard from the trees behind them as Rosalie attempted to talk to them.

"A-Ali go for me, damn it! I can't stop right now!" Everyone flinched and turned to Alice, who huffed. Of course, as their leading lady, she would be used to substitute anyone who doesn't show up. "Please?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Alice huffed, grabbing her shortboard and winking at the brunette that stole her heart away, "Be back in a few."

"I'll be waiting." Bella nodded happily.

Once Alice got near the water, Jacob came out of nowhere, getting up in her grill.

"Watch yourself out there, Cullen. Wouldn't want anything to happen to the little princess of the Cullen Five, now would we?" He bowed as if trying to be majestic, but it just made him look like an idiot. "After today, I want you to stay away from Bella."

"Too bad that I don't really care about what you want, huh?" She giggled, her amber eyes harsh in the light. "If you think threats will work with me, your wrong. How long have you been surfing? Two years? Three, at the most? You're still horrible at it."

"I've been surfing much longer than that!" Jacob flexed his arms, and Alice wasn't affected by it. She just shrugged, "Then, your skill embarrasses you. You'd think that after surfing longer than three years, you'd be better than a monkey on a banana peel. I guess you had a teacher who was also crappy."

"Cullen!" He began to quiver, and threw his fist at her. She, of course, was ready for that and ducked, kicking a leg out to knock him over. When his back was in the sand, she wrinkled her nose, and walked away, taking her board with her to the very edge of the water.

**"Whoa! Jacob takes a fall! To little Alice Cullen!" **The fans began to laugh at his humiliation, and pointed at him. He tried his best to keep from crying, so he got up as quickly as possible and darted into the water, ignoring the warnings they had started to shout to him. Alice was yelling something, too, but once he was neck high in the water, he knew he probably should have listened.

**"Jacob, where are you today?" **Jacob snorted and felt something _huge _brush against him. _'Fuck my life, fuck my life, fuck my fucking life!' _**"We've got Orcas out there, bro! Swim back to shore!"**

"Shit, shit, shit..." Jacob chanted as she paddled as quickly as possible back to the beach. Once he was waist deep in the water, he looked back to see four _fucking huge _killer whales playing on the surf. _'Where the fuck were these overgrown fish earlier?_'

"Excuse me, Jacob." Alice pulled her shortboard over her head and whistled over to her group. "Don't feel bad. They are pretty scary, considering their bigger than us and all."

The rest of the Cullen Five ran toward the water, boards in hand.

**"Whoa, whoa, where's the fire, Cullen Five?" **The DJ was beside himself in confusion, and possibly worry. **"There are killer whales out there!"**

"I'm getting some first!" Emmett beat his chest and splashed into the water, followed by his wife, who stuck close to him. If anyone could keep her safe from killer whales, it was her husband and first love.

"Hey, no fair! I saw them first!" Alice squealed, running in with Edward and Jasper on each side of her. "What's with the flanking?"

"Don't want you getting dragged off with them, now do we?" Jasper winked, and Edward slapped her ass.

"Mom would kill us if she knew what we were doing." He laughed aloud, "We left Bella with Leah. Said we would get her once we came back to shore."

"Perfect!" Alice paddled out harder, coming close to Rosalie and Emmett. "Are you guys ready?"

"Hell yes!" Emmett grinned, "The waves will be huge because they're rocking the waters!"

"Finally..." Rosalie panted as they slowed to a stop right before the waves began. They could see a few dorsal fins and grinned. "It's a Matriline. A mother and her daughter. An older daughter, and two teenage girls."

"So we're surfing with four hot mamas." Edward chuckled, "Super."

"The waves are starting to crest. Let's hit it." Alice motioned for the two on the outside to go first, which was Rosalie and Jasper. They went down the wave, pleasing the youngest of the Orcas. They surfed behind them, on their backs.

Rosalie couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the whales being silly, and looked over at Jasper, who was hooting and having a roaring good time. You only get to surf with Killer Whales once in a blue moon, after all. They hadn't even expected to see any, considering the season they were in.

"Now you guys." Alice ordered of Emmett and Edward, who poked her in the sides.

"We aren't leaving you out here with the big fish by yourself." Edward sighed, "Let's go together."

"Fiinne." Alice pouted, "I wanted to surf with the matriarch."

"And you will, if that," Emmett pointed behind them to the huge fin that was coming at them, "is anything to go by."

"Think we've overstayed our welcome?" Edward asked nervously.

"Nah. I think she's just getting frustrated of us being out here for so long and not doing anything." Alice giggled, hand over her mouth, "What did Bella look like when she heard the word 'Orcas' and I called you guys out?"

"She was terrified. She was just..a blubbering mess." Edward chuckled, "She really likes you if she gets so worked up about you just surfing, and she cries when you surf with giant killer whales. You gotta teach her to live a little."

"She'll be furious with me." Alice's golden eyes widened, her hands coming up to the sides of her face, "Oh shit, she'll scream. She'll yell."

"Get used to it. All women do that." Emmett chuckled. "My babe's already on the beach waving at us. We gotta go now."

The three of them nodded, and kicked off into one of the biggest curling and curving waves they'd ever seen on First Beach. The matriarch whale and her oldest daughter were in the water, right behind them, and Alice looked back once and felt a little fear and respect in her heart. What the fuck had they been thinking?

She looked ahead and saw the water thinning out. They were almost to shore. Aww.

"That was much too short." Alice grumbled. "I-Is that MOM on the beach?"

"ALICE, EMMETT AND EDWARD CULLEN!" Oh shit. Mama bear was pissed. She also, had a loudspeaker in hand, screaming at them.

The Orca heard her yelling, and grew curious, so once the waves crashed onto the beach, Alice, Emmett and Edward grabbed their boards and ran onto the beach laughing. The whales came onto the beach too, making those cute, booming noises. It almost put Emmett to shame. Almost.

"And you? Back to the ocean before I grill you for dinner!" She shooed them, and the whales got the picture. They backed up into the water after snorting at her, and swam off lazily. "What were you guys thinking?"

"ALICE!" Bella ran as quickly as she could, and couldn't seem to figure out how to work the brakes, so she crashed right into the surfing pixie. They tumbled to the floor due to the force she'd used to tackle her, and when soft hands gripped at her short black hair, she sighed and cooed to comfort her. "Wha-wha..."

"It's okay, Bella! I've surfed with wild Orcas before." She chuckled gently, running her hands through Bella's mahogany locks, "I'm perfectly safe right now."

"You could have been eaten, Ali..." She looked up then, and Alice felt endlessly guilty. Her eyes were swollen red, her bottom lip swollen from no doubt, biting down on it. "You could have died!"

"There hasn't been any record of Killer Whales ending a human life in the wild, Bells. Only in captivity, because they're very social creatures. They go off the deep end in captivity." The pixie hugged the brunette tightly, "Please, don't be afraid."

"I'm...not. Anymore." Bella climbed off the smaller girl and pulled away completely. "Your fans are cheering you on. Don't keep them waiting." And with that, she walked off, tipping over slightly. She had really been worried...

"Forget my fans." She whispered, going after her best friend slash love interest. When she interlaced their fingers, she smiled. "I'd rather be with you right now."

They walked on, Alice splashing her feet in the ankle deep water, as people gaped at them.

"What are they staring at?" Bella asked quietly, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, a number of things. I just got back from surfing with killer whales, I'm actually holding someone's hand that isn't related to me, and..." She looked down at her feet, surprise streaked across her face. "I'm standing in water."

"So? You surf in water." Bella chuckled, and then suddenly turned red. "Water..."

"Bella, you weren't afraid of it until I mentioned it!" Alice grinned, "You were so worried about me, you hadn't even once thought of the water!"

"I _had _thought of the water, but I didn't think it was all that important since you went off with giant black fish. I had to make sure that you were safe, even if it was from the very edge of the ocean." She blushed, "Don't think anything of it, though."

"Sure. I won't." Alice sighed, "I'm kinda tired. Where is everyone?"

"I think they cleared out to get ready for the after event." the brunette bit her lip, "Maybe we should clear out and get changed? I don't want you getting in the water again today."

"What about Leah? I promised to show her how to avoid other surfers on the water." the pixie turned pleading golden eyes to chocolates.

"Nope. That's why the whiteboard was invented." She chuckled, "No surf tonight."

"You're so mean!" Alice pouted, lip quivering as her eyes grew wider, tearing up.

"The puppy dog face won't work on me, either." The main-lander kept walking, tugging the shorter girl along. "Now, come on, Surfer-Ali. Time for a shower and a change of clothes."

"Grrreat." She whined.

**Hope you guys liked it! Bella faced her fear! Yes, Emmett and Rosalie are hot rockin' bunnies. :D Til tomorrow!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Namaste!**

**Sorry for the late update. Birthday parties. ha. (That, and college.) **

**Yeah, I know that Emmett and Rosalie are bunnies. Aren't they cute and fluffy? **

**I have a prediction. By the end of this chapter, you will all have said, 'WTF?' repeatedly, and then you will curse my name and the doctor who helped me out of my mother's body. But, you will love me at the end, too. I love you all. Hope you like it enough to review. **

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><p>"Emmett, this is amazing!" Bella's eyes nearly came out of her head at what she was looking at, "How long did it take to make this?"<p>

"Honestly?" She shook her head, and he grinned, "An hour."

"Bad _ass!_" the brunette threw her arms up and twirled around, light brown eyes up. "This is gonna be so cool."

"The even cooler thing about it, is we can actually sleep out here. That way, we catch up on our sleep, and we'll already be here when the competition starts. I put up a changing divider over in that far corner so we wouldn't be late." Jasper laughed, enjoying the sight of an awestruck Bella dancing around like a child. "Aaand, there's room dividers. One for each of us. You are sharing with Alice...since your both girls and single."

Emmett snickered, stopping when Rosalie, Esme, Edward and Alice came in.

"Did you set everything up already?" Esme asked strictly. "I am still upset about this afternoon, yes."

"I-I just need to put down the cushions and blankets." The bear whined. "Can anyone help me with that?"

"I'll help you." Bella offered with a huge, blinding smile. "This place is so rockin."

"Awesome." Alice giggled, "I brought you some things from your house, Bella. That way we wouldn't have to go back and fourth."

"Cool." Rosalie looked at her husband and smiled secretively.

"Emmett, did you already put the dividers up?" She asked sweetly, looking up. "Yes, you have! Did you explain to Bella the sleeping arrangements?"

"I have. Though, it wouldn't hurt to go over it again." The burly man crossed his arms over his chest, "Rosie and I get a section of this tent. Jasper and Edward get one too, and Alice and Bella will share one."

Alice turned deep red, amber eyes clenching shut tightly. She hadn't expected that...but could she have honestly expected less from her no-good brothers and sister? Of course she couldn't.

"W-Well, that's a good arrangement." The pixie muttered, going over to an empty part of the tent that was facing the ocean, "We call this part!"

"Aww, noooo, I wanted that part!" Jasper whined, "It has the best breeze!"

"Too bad! Besides, our _guest _is sharing with me." Alice glared at her brother, "So it's in the best interest of our family to make her comfortable."

"Pfft, Bella isn't a guest anymore!" Rosalie guffawed, throwing an arm around the confused brunette, "She's family now!"

"That's right, Ali." Emmett grinned, "But, we will give up the ocean view spot, and so will Jasper, for our newest member. Just this once."

"Yay!" Alice jumped up and down, "Now get the cushions and blankets! It's supposed to get a little chilly tonight."

"Yes, Surfer-Ali." Emmett chuckled, yanking his Bella-bear with him. "You heard the lady!"

"Yeah, I did." She nodded as she followed Emmett to his Jeep.

* * *

><p>"Wow, you were right. It did get colder." Bella snuggled under the thick blanket that was thrown over herself and the tiniest surfer around. "At least you're warm."<p>

"I'm glad to share my warmth." The pixie giggled, "But you aren't that cold yourself."

"Hey, guys! Do you see that one?" Emmett pointed and laughed, "It looks like a man!"

"Yeah, we see it, baby." Rosalie cooed, kissing his cheek, "Do you see the woman next to him?"

"Yeah!" He seemed to vibrate with excited energy. "That was awesome for you to spot out, babe!"

"Look at Leo." Edward gestured to a group of clustered stars.

"Amazing!" Jasper gasped, hanging onto his lover.

"Where is the Perseus area?" Bella asked aloud, and Rosalie is the one who answered her question. Which shocked them all, apparently.

"It's Northwest. That way." She pointed toward the water, and a little to the right. "Why?"

"What day is it?" She whispered to Alice, who pulled out her cell phone.

"It's the 29th. And we are still in July." She whispered back.

"Maybe we'll see them." She giggled excitedly, "Emmett, have you ever seen a Meteor Shower?"

"I think only once. Why? Is there one tonight?"

"Well, the peak day is August 13th, but we are in Meteor season here in Washington." She said loudly, "But, if we keep watch, we may be able to see some interesting things."

"Really? Awesome." Edward sighed, snuggling into his boyfriend. "This was such a good idea."

"I agree." Alice whispered, nuzzling into the brunette main-lander.

* * *

><p>"Ali, are you awake?" Bella whispered as she shifted over onto her side, facing the small pixie who was still snuggled tightly to her, "Hmm?"<p>

"Yeah." Golden eyes sparkled brightly, light casting from the moonlight right onto her perfect face, making Bella's chest swell. "Like I can fall asleep right away when you're right next to me."

"Are you warm?" The brunette was worried for the small surfer. She was so tiny, Bella could imagine that she had a hard time keeping warm most of the time.

"I'm perfectly fine." She giggled silently, "Just lay here with me."

"You know, you are the most beautiful person I've ever met. Inside and out." She sighed, hugging the girl tightly, "I worry about you."

"I know you do. I worry about you, too, but I know you're perfectly fine right now. That's what keeps me from constantly asking me if you're alright." She blushed, "You're beautiful too, you know."

"You think so." She sighed, "I wish I thought so, too."

"You will one day. After I've broken into that thick skull of yours and shown it to you."

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><p><strong>Jacob – Wednesday Morning – Surfing Competition Day 3<strong>

"Ugh. Too early." The russet skinned boy rolled out of bed and stretched, his back popping in a satisfying way. "But I gotta get up early."

In an instant, his mind flashed back to Bella, as it did every morning. The only difference today...was the additive of Alice Cullen. The way she held onto her...nuzzled into her and acted territorial over her. As if she was hers. The nerve.

"Jacob? Are you awake?" Billy, Jacob's father, rolled into his son's small, shack-like bedroom. He had offered to remodel it, but Jacob liked the way it looked. Said something about it fitting his surfer boy image. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to drop by the competition these past two days. I'm definitely going over today, though."

"No, don't worry about it pops. I got it." He grinned at his father, "But if you want to go see me make you proud, then by all means. Who's gonna help you out there?"

"Charlie said he'd be willing to come over for me in the cruiser. He wants me to meet his lady friend. Hopefully she doesn't find me attractive. That type of thing seems to happen a lot to our family." He winked, "Anyway, do you know if Seth's going today?"

"Yeah, Leah said he was feeling better last night." He rolled his eyes, "He still wants to surf for the visiting team, though."

"Let him." Billy waved his hands, "You kids don't let him surf with you anyway. Let him have fun. This competition _is _still for fun, isn't it?"

Jacob nodded slightly, "Though...Bella has been hanging out with the Cullens."

"I've heard." His father chuckled, "The smallest one...Alice? She's in love with Bella, or so Charlie has told me."

"What?" Jacob threw a shirt on, "That's no possible, dad! You know that she and I-"

"Jacob, please. You can't force someone to love you. That would be like asking a caged bird to sing. You can't make it do that." The wheel-chaired man frowned, "And don't you try anything about them, Jake. They don't deserve that. I heard what you almost did yesterday, and to be honest, I wasn't a lick proud of you for swinging your fist at someone, much less a girl who is less than half your size."

"Don't defend her. She's taking Bella away from me, I have to defend what's mine." Jacob grumbled, stepping into some clean board shorts.

"Jacob she was never yours to claim or defend. She was your friend, and that was it." Billy sighed at his son's teenage antics and rolled out of the bedroom, slightly annoyed. What was this kid's problem? He didn't teach him that at all. He was all about peace.

"If she wasn't, she will be." He frowned, walking out of his house and grabbing the surf board that was leaning against the side of the house. "See you out there!"

"Okay!"

* * *

><p>"What the hell is this?" Jacob glared into the mesh side of the tent where Bella was asleep, an adorable pixie situated on top of her snoring. "Bella!"<p>

The brunette jumped in shock, shaking the tiny surfer awake. "Wha?"

"What is it, Bella? It's really..." Alice glanced down at her cell phone, "Ugh. Early. Sleep now." She nuzzled into the pale neck of her crush and sighed in contentment.

"Bella Swan, get up. Now." Jacob's breathing was harsh, his tone as sharp as a samurai sword. "What the hell do you think your doing?"

"Jacob?" Bella blinked over and over, trying to clear the sands of sleep from her eyes. She looked down at Alice, who was still snuggling onto her. She chuckled, and put her arms around her, shaking her gently, "Ali-girl. Time to wake up."

"Aww, it's too earlyyyy..." The pixie whined. "Did you call me another name?"

"Yes, I did." She shook her again, "Come on, it's time to change and get ready for the day."

"Hello! Still standing here!" Jacob interrupted rudely, "Bella, come talk to me."

"Fine. If it'll get you to leave me alone, I suppose I can do at least that." Bella nuzzled into the pixie's hair and whispered a few words to her. Alice sat up straight then, fully awake, glaring at Jacob. "I'm going to go talk to him while you change. I'll be right back."

"No, Bella..." She turned her molten gold orbs to deep, loving chocolate. "Don't go. Whatever he can say to you in private, he can say here."

"She's right, you know." The brunette chuckled, looking into her old friend's dark, angry eyes. "Dude, what's with the leering? I haven't done anything wrong."

"You were sleeping with her!" He growled, "What the hell do you mean, you haven't done anything wrong?"

"Step off, Jacob, and mind your own business. Say what you came to say to me, and go on your merry way, because we've got shit to do." light brown eyes hardened as she glared at him. "And for your information, I _haven't _done anything wrong, shithead."

"Bella, don't call me things like that." He ran his hands through his hair to calm down. Her look of defiance wasn't helping.

"Don't think I didn't see you swing your fist at her yesterday, Jacob." Chocolate and Caramel eyes glared at him accusingly. They were soon joined by three pairs of blue eyes, one pair of green eyes, who looked just as accusing. "I'm not blind, Black."

"So we're on last name basis, Bella?" The native frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, "Please, can't we just talk about this? Without the audience?"

"No. I don't care anymore. Just stay away from us." She shrugged one shoulder, "And everything will be fine."

"Yeah, and after next week, they'll be long gone. It'll just be you and me again." He grinned in a particularly strange way. "I can't wait."

Nobody said a word. They couldn't.

"Surf hard, Cullens." He flipped them the bird as he turned around and walked off, a kick in his step. Rosalie cursed under her breath and went off to probably change her clothes. Everyone went their separate ways, and Bella just sighed.

She stood up, moving away from Alice, who refused to meet her eyes. Another awkward moment for them, huh?

She searched for her forest green bikini, as she remembered them having a conversation about it the day before. Instead of going behind a screen to change, she faced one of the section dividers and brought her shirt over her head, exposing her now uncovered chest. She let it fall, not caring if anyone was looking or not. She sighed as the cool air touched her warm skin and held her C-cup breasts with one arm as she bent over for her bikini top.

"Bella, go change behind the screen. Someone will see you." Alice said lowly, coming up behind her and touching her back with one lone finger.

"I'm fine. You can go change behind it. I'll be fine here." She pulled on the bikini top on and tied it behind her back. Once she adjusted the cups to her breasts and checked to make sure the tag wasn't sticking out, she dropped her shorts and stepped out of them, making the pixie behind her choke.

"Bella, please..." The brunette picked up the bottoms and balanced it between her thighs. She tied the sides up quickly and spun around.

"I'm done." She sighed and walked out of the huge tent they'd stayed in. She only left her to change because she didn't want the awkward moment earlier to ruin their day. She had already accepted that they were going to leave. She had accepted that they would leave, and she would stay behind. She wasn't naïve, and she certainly wasn't going to pretend it wasn't going to happen eventually.

"Hey, Bella-Bear." Emmett was sitting on the sand, legs sprawled out and his arms hanging down. He looked upset, and it hurt her feelings quite a bit that the big, happy bear of a man was unhappy.

"Hey, Emmy. What's the matter?" He snorted.

"As if you don't already know. That asshole said it loud enough." His arms flexed as he was probably thinking of going after Jacob and silencing him forever. "We all feel really bad about it."

"I don't." He spun around quickly, blue eyes shocked and even a little hurt. "Emmett, I have had the past two weeks to think about this, and I have the next week and a half to think about it. I already...accept, that its going to happen. I could put it off, I could ignore it, but it isn't going to change anything." She shrugged, sitting down next to him and admiring the gold stitching in his deep green board shorts, "To be honest? I was devastated when I first realized it. It still gets me sometimes...but, I know that you guys love to surf. You live for it. You have lived for it for much longer than I can probably comprehend."

"I don't mind being the 'Girl in Washington'. I don't." She giggled, "So long as you guys have fun, and we all part as friends, I could never mind. Sure, I'll miss you guys like crazy...but that's what happens when family vacations with you and has to go home afterward."

Emmett threw his arms around the frail brunette and crushed her to his chest, his heart hurting a little. He had come to love Bella like a little sister, and to hear her say she'd miss them was doing him in.

"It's going to be nearly impossible to leave here without you." He muttered and kissed the top of her head. "Really, really hard."

"You've got that right." Rosalie appeared then, hugging Bella from behind, which was facing away from Emmett. She was in a Cullen Couple sandwich. "God, kid. You've wormed your way in quite far."

"Sorry. I can crawl back out, if it makes you feel better?" She chuckled, much to Emmett and Rosalie's relief.

"Is there room in this group hug for a couple of gay guys?" Edward dog piled on Emmett's back, along with Jasper on Rosalie's end. "Tight hug! Squeeze!"

"Ah, oh god, can't breathe!" Bella gasped. "Jesus!"

"Where's Surfer-Ali?" Rosalie asked, whispering in Bella's ear.

"She might be...upset at me." The brunette chuckled.

"Might be? Try really upset." The little surfer came out of the tent them, golden eyes worried. "Bella, you were changing in view of the public!"

"So you're an exhibitionist? Awesome." Emmett grinned perversely, and Rosalie swatted him hard on the back of the head. "Ow! I mean, dude, that's so wrong!"

"Surfer-Ali, can you go talk to the judges while I teach my husband what is and is not acceptable in public?" Rosalie was glaring at her husband, who started to whimper while still clutching onto Bella. "Let Bella go now, dear."

"No! She's my meat-shield!" He held Bella up as if she weighed nothing, and Bella could only laugh at their antics.

"She's going with me to talk to the judges, Surfer-Emmy." Alice peeled her brother's hands off Bella's arms and pulled her away. "Come on, Main-lander-Bella."

"Okay, Surfer-Ali. Is this going to be a theme today?" The taller girl looked over her shoulder, "Like...Surfer-Rosie, Surfer-Jazzy, and Surfer-Eddie?"

"That's brilliant!" Alice spun around to her siblings, "We're doing that today!"

"Right on. What about Bella? She's not a surfer." Surfer-Eddie cracked a smile.

"She's Main-lander-Bella." The pixie rolled her eyes, "Duh."

"Ah, okay." Edward chuckled.

* * *

><p><strong>"Morning Olympia!" <strong>Another different DJ. Bella looked over at Alice, who shrugged. She didn't much care for them, so long as they played great music. **"It's time for Day 3 of the Surfing Competition to begin! Catch some awesome waves, guys!"**

"Hello, ladies." One of the judges winked at Bella, who blushed darkly at the attention, "How can we help you this morning?"

"Oh, my family and I just wanted to know the lineup for today." Alice gave him her best, blinding smile, and he smiled right back.

"Well, the match that got interrupted yesterday is going to be the first for today. It would be you, Alice, against La Push's Jacob. I'm not letting the less experienced surfers into the water today, we've got some rough waves, and even a hit of riptide on the far end." He glared out into the water, "We even considered canceling today, but we know the traveling fans wouldn't like that..."

"No, they wouldn't." Alice bit her lip. "So I'm up first?"

"Yes. After that, we're sticking to the buddy system like we did on Day 1." He leaned back in his seat and sighed, "We're letting your teams pick the lineup."

"That sounds good." Alice tipped her head to him and pulled Bella along on her way back to the Cullen's 'headquarters'. Esme and Carlisle were there again, with Violet. "Bella, do you think you'll be able to hang onto Violet today?"

"Er...why can't Esme and Carlisle watch her?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her heart screaming betrayal at her. "B-Because I don't know if I can."

"Bella, please..." Alice turned her big golden eyes to her, and she almost melted from the look she'd given her. "She's a really good girl, and doesn't require a lot of attention. She likes to sit there and maybe dig in the sand. She's so quiet, too, almost like she's not even there."

The brunette bit her lip harder and sighed.

"Okay. But don't expect me to fall in love with her." Alice shook her head quickly, hugging her tightly. "Bring her over to me, then. If I cry, I don't want to cry in front of anyone."

"I'll be right back." Alice walked over to her mother, taking the leash and motioning to Bella, who was busy looking down at the sand. She didn't want pitying or sympathetic looks. Not anymore. "Say hi, Violet."

The gray puppy's tail wagged like crazy, her soft, fluffy body pressing against Bella's legs. Bella bent down as tears struck her at once, and her hands automatically found the puppy's sides, fingers digging slightly into the fur. She closed her eyes, and couldn't help but imagine for a moment that it was Holmes.

"H-Holmes..." Bella swiped at her eyes, coughing. She could almost feel Alice's worry next to her, but she decided to ignore it. She opened her eyes and met clear, blue eyes, in a different face than her old buddy. "No...not Holmes."

Alice reached out and placed a soft hand on Bella's forearm, comforting her in a small way as she tried to stop crying.

"No...you're name is Violet. You are Violet." The brunette nodded, "You know...before you came here, I was considering getting Holmes a girlfriend. Or maybe hooking up with someone who had a girl dog already, that way..." She began to sob again, Alice glaring at people who were looking on at the weirdo crying over the puppy who looked confused.

"...I-I made a cartoon reference when I was talking to Holmes. I said, I should go find you another parent, because this single parent thing is hard work! I said, who knows, maybe I'll find someone with a girl just for you. That way, it'll be like in Scooby Doo...and the alien invaders..." she suddenly wrapped her arms around the puppy and hugged her to her chest and burying her face into the dog's fur.

Alice hugged the girl from behind, she herself trying to not cry. Bella let the puppy go, only for Violet to jump up on her and lick her tears away. Just like Holmes used to.

"Okay..." Bella sighed, standing up. She turned to Alice, who was still kneeling on the floor, and reached a hand out to help her to her feet. The pixie took it, and intertwined their fingers.

They walked back to where the family was, Violet in tow, and saw them all look fairly happy. Why they looked that way, Bella didn't know, and she kinda sorta didn't care at that moment.

"The first round is a rematch for the match that was canceled yesterday. Jacob against me." Alice informed. "After that, it's back to Day 1. Buddy system. Teams call their lineup."

"Sounds good." Emmett grinned.

"Watch your back, Cullen." Jacob spat, only for Alice to trip him as he was walking by. He got a mouth full of sand, and stood up angrily, his face half covered in power white sand. "CULLEN!"

"What are you gonna do to me?" Alice threw her arms out, chest out, "I'm right here. Come on, are you all bark and no bite?"

"Back up or I'll definitely do something!" Jacob pushed his chest into Alice's and Bella attempted to get in between them. It wasn't working very well.

"Come on, you've been all talk since we've gotten here." Alice laughed in his face, "Don't know how to do anything else, right?"

"Alice Cullen, get away from him now." Carlisle spoke firmly to his daughter, who wasn't listening. "Alice."

"Alice, dear, please listen to your father." Esme worried, green eyes wide.

"Ali, he isn't worth it." Bella tried again to push between them, only to be ignored still.

"You're working on my last nerve, little girl. Back the fuck up." Jacob hissed, his nostrils flaring. "I don't have much love for someone who is trying to steal my girl away from me."

"Your girl? Ha! Bella's _my girl. _She was never yours, she told me herself!" Alice's words shocked Bella, and flattered her quite a bit, but that wasn't important at the moment. "You just like to get in my face because you're jealous, aren't you? Because you can't have her, and she doesn't want you? Makes perfect sense to me."

"You don't know anything!" The boy shoved against Alice, but the girl held her ground, shoving back. "I should just kill you!"

"No, Jake!" Bella pushed between them, only to get knocked aside by Jacob's fist, and falling to the floor. She clutched at her head, and began to cry in pain. Violet whined and curled into her side, licking at her face in worry.

"Bella!" Alice yelled, about to rush over when someone screamed over her.

"JACOB BLACK!" A surfing official was running up to them, two red flags in hand. "ALICE CULLEN!"

He tossed up both of them, and everyone boo'd. What were the red flags for?

"One more warning, kids." He hissed at the both of them, looking at Bella on the floor. He rushed over to her, crouching down, "Are you alright, miss? Who hit you?"

"It was Jacob, sir." She whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks, "God, it hurts.."

"Well, a fist to the temple would definitely hurt," He said as he examined her head when she sat up, "You may experience some dizziness, maybe nausea. He hit you pretty hard. Probably trying to hit Alice instead of you."

"Alice was only provoking him, challenging him. She didn't mean to start anything with him that would have resulted in anyone getting hurt." Bella bit her lip. "Please don't let her get into trouble for his actions."

He seemed to think this over for a minute, glancing at both guilty parties. Alice looked horrified, wanting desperately to go to Bella, and Jacob looked pissed, glaring at the pixie. He nodded, standing up.

"I revoke the red flag from Alice Cullen. Jacob Black, watch yourself sir. One more flag, and your disqualified for the rest of the competition. Harming other people just isn't the way, son." He picked up the flags and called over to the judges, who nodded.

"Jacob, you idiot!" A voice was screaming as the owner blazed over the sand, pushing him. "Where the fuck do you get off hitting Bella like that?"

"Mind your own business, Leah!" He snarled at her, and the official glared at him. "Whatever. I didn't do it on purpose."

"You knocked her out of the way! Of course you did it on purpose!" She got up in his face, "You hit someone else out here, Jake, and not even the officials will be able to save you from the ass beating you'll have coming to you."

"And she's not the only one." Emmett cracked his knuckles. "You'll deal with us, fool."

"Whatever." He harrumphed and walked off, snatching his shortboard off the floor where he'd dropped it before the confrontation. "Bitch isn't worth it."

"What the fuck did you just say?" Alice yowled, getting ready to get back in his face, only stopping when Bella caught her and pushed her down into a seated position on the sand. "Bella!"

"No. Stop it. I got you out of a red flag, even though you seriously deserved one, and I won't talk them out of another one." Bella crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her head once in a while. "Jesus, anyone have any painkillers? I feel like I was hit with a sledgehammer."

"I have something." Carlisle reached into his wife's bag, pulling out a bottle of white caplets. "Take two of these. It should take care of you for the rest of the day."

"Thanks, your a saint." She dry swallowed the pills and sighed. "Now, are you ready to go surf for fun, and not get into more trouble, Alice Cullen?"

"Ask him that." She grumbled as she pouted, arms cross, legs crossed and head down and turned to the side. "He's the asshole around here."

"You aren't faultless either, sweetheart." Bella knelt down and hugged her from behind. "Just go and do what you have to, and come back. I get lonely without you here."

"Fine, fine." She giggled, standing up, "Leah, where is Seth?"

"Right here!" Seth came out from behind Emmett, grinning like a fool. "Sorry I wasn't here yesterday, guys! No more alcoh- Err...cool aid, for me!" He choked up when he'd seen the looks Esme and Carlisle were giving him.

"It's time for me to go, guys! Wish me luck!" Alice grabbed her baby blue board, about to walk off, when Bella handed Violet's leash to Edward.

"Hold her for me for this round. I want to go as close to the water as possible." She winked, and took one of Alice's hands after letting her put the board down into a one arm hold. "Can I do that?"

"Stand on the edge of the water? Of course you can." the tiny surfer blushed lightly, "I'm just surprised, is all."

"I want to go with you...and now there's trouble with Jacob. You couldn't have gotten me to stay away, even if you begged me." Bella sighed, "And I'm going to try my best to ignore the ocean as best as I could."

"Good, Bella." The brunette rolled her eyes. "Oh, hey guys."

"Hey, Surfer-Ali!" Rosalie waggled her fingers at her, "We're going with you guys to give Bella...moral support. God knows she'll need it for as close to the ocean she wants to get. If that made any sense."

"Thanks guys." Bella held Rosalie's hand with her free hand. "Do you expect anything from Jacob right now?"

"Honestly? I do." Emmett growled. "He isn't going to try anything, though. If he's smart."

"He isn't." Bella looked to her left when her name was called out, and she spotted her dad, Leslie, and Billy coming out onto the beach from the parking lot. "Oh, my dad's here with his girlfriend."

"More moral support!" The smallest Cullen giggled. "Yay for Bella!"

"This is where we stop, Bella." Rosalie tugged on her hand, and Bella had to stop. Once she did, she looked down at Alice's hand, still linked with hers. She hadn't wanted to let go. If she wasn't so afraid of the water, she would go with her. "Good luck, Ali."

"See you guys when I get back." Alice was disentangling her fingers from Bella, but something came and crashed into the brunette's chest. She couldn't let her go. She shouldn't let her go. "Bella?"

"No." She shook her head, "You shouldn't go."

"Why?" The tiny teen looked confused, "Bella, it's just a surf."

"I-I have this feeling...it's telling me not to let you go." Bella bit her lip. "Even if it is 'just a surf'."

"Please, Bella, it's just...right there." She pointed out after she dropped her board, "Right there. You are right here. We won't be...that far from each other. I promise. I'll go in, do my thing, and come right back out."

"You'll keep your promise?" Bella's heart was screaming at her to not let her go. "Do you swear?"

"I promise and I swear. I'll come right back, sweetheart." She hugged her tall crush, and sighed, "Thank you for worrying about me, though. That feeling you have...it might just be your fear of the water."

"Yeah..." Bella didn't believe that for a second. This wasn't just fear. This was terror. This was much worse than her fear of the ocean. "You're probably right."

"Be right back." Alice bent down and picked up her board, slowly getting into the water. She looked over her shoulder in confusion, but shrugged it off, and paddled deeper into the water. She had beat Jacob out there, and when Jacob passed Bella on the beach, he had a glint in his eyes. That was probably not good.

"Bella?" Rosalie pulled the girl back by the hand, "We have to back up a little, the waves are curling. They'll crash onto the beach a little harshly, and we wouldn't want you getting swept under."

"Good idea." Bella walked backwards a few feet, Rosalie and Emmett in front of her, between her and the waves.

"Hey guys." Edward met up with the three of them, hands void of Violet. Bella was about to ask about it when he laughed, "She's with Jasper. They're on lover's lane, apparently. She just can't keep away from him."

"That's adorable." Rosalie cooed. "Jazzy always had a thing for dogs."

"Damn these waves..." Emmett was looking out on the water, "They're too high, I can't see Alice or Jacob."

"Just know they're out there." Bella muttered, "And I was serious about that feeling. I couldn't get it to go away."

"You think it had something to do with Jacob?" The blond asked quietly, fingers squeezing Bella's, "Is that it?"

"I have no doubt it was about Jacob. He's a horrible person when jealous or angry. And he's both. I wouldn't put anything past him right now." The brunette bit her lip, looking at Emmett, "Can you put me up on your shoulders?"

"No problem." He grasped her and lifted her effortlessly, "You don't weigh a damn thing. Just like my Rosie and Ali-cat."

"I suppose that could be a compliment." The main-lander grinned. "Now, let me concentrate."

"Yes, Ma'am." Emmett and his sibling and wife remained silent as Bella looked out into the water. She could see into the huge pipe-like wave they were zig-zagging in. She wondered if the judges could even see what was happening, she had to be this high to see them.

"I see them. They're zig-zagging back and fourth." Bella took her eyes off of the two surfers for a second to look down, "They look amazing."

"That's Ali for ya. Best of all of us." Edward smiled proudly. "What are they doing now?"

"Let's see..." Bella squinted, just in time to see them come too close to each other. She growled. "He's moving too close to her."

"He's probably just bluffing. He knows its dangerous to do anything like that out there." Rose flicked her blond hair. Bella sighed, looking out again. It was when Jacob came back to where Alice was, hitting her with his fist, that she demanded to be let down.

"Put me down! Put me down now!" Emmett dropped her down and they all watched, unsure of what was going on. When Jacob came onto land, still on his board, he smiled at Bella, and kept walking. That was wrong. Alice should have come back first. She waited for a whole half minute before she freaked. "Shit!"

"Bella!" Rosalie was panicking when Bella ran past her to the water, faster than she'd ever seen anyone move. Hell, her hair had whipped by her at the girl's speed! "What are you doing?"

"Get Jacob! He hit her out there, and she still isn't back! I can't waste anymore time!" She shouted over her shoulder, diving under the water faster than she ever had before. She had never been more thankful for her very first job. Sure, she hadn't swam in a while, and definitely not against harsh waves, but the principles were the same.

She swam hard against the rough currents, trying her best to get to where she'd last seen Alice.

She stroked harder than before, her arms burning. She swore inwardly that she would catch up with her swimming if it hurt this badly to do it now, in an emergency. She remembered this fucking ocean. And she hated it right now, more than she feared it. It had her Alice.

She stroked harder, roaring under the water, which expelled the oxygen in her lungs. She came up for air, a considerable distance away from the shore. She could see Rosalie screaming for her to come back, and Emmett pummeling Jacob into the ground, Edward helping. She took a deep breath and dove right back into the harsh waters, waves beating her down.

She beat her arms and legs harder, and was praising the high heavens when she saw the baby blue board of her not-so-secret love. She was worshiping God that she was able to convince Alice to get that strap thing that attached her board to her ankle.

She dove lower, and found the girl upside down, not moving. She looked deathly pale, and it made the brunette panic to see her that way and her heart clenched painfully.

The thought of Alice never moving again...of never breathing air, or laughing and smiling at one of her stupid jokes...To not see her eyes lit up the way they always seemed to when she was around, or when she was going shopping and bouncing around with excited energy...To not see her play and run and laugh with her siblings, or with Violet. To never get the chance to explore what had been happening between the two of them...to realize just what it was, and relish in it, in the soft touches and possible kisses...

There was no way that Bella could let that happen. She had failed with Holmes. He died on her watch. It wasn't happening this time. She wasn't going to lose Alice to the fucking ocean. No fucking way!

Alice's hair was in a halo around her head, and she would have been considered extremely beautiful this way, had it not been for a small amount of blood drifting around. Hopefully, the sharks around wouldn't get excited about that...but just in case...

She swam to the unconscious girl and grabbed her tightly, swimming to the surface as quickly as she could. For a moment, she felt her heart sink at the thought that she wouldn't be able to reach the surface. She pushed her fear back, and stroked the water harder. When she broke the surface, she brought Alice's head up quickly, half throwing her atop of her expensive ass surf board. She hacked and without pause, began to pump her legs to move them in the direction of land.

While she did that, she assessed Alice. The girl wasn't breathing, and she had a pulse, but she couldn't do anything until they reached land. She pumped harder, holding onto Alice when the waves would crash over them.

"Just a little farther, Ali. A little farther!" She gasped, "A little more...Ali. Don't give up on me, Ali-baby. Don't give up. Keep that heart beating for me."

The board lifted them up on a wave, and she felt her heart soar. It would take them straight to shore! She grew more impatient, as her love was still not breathing, and kicked her legs out, the wave sending them shooting toward the beach.

They were waist deep in the water at this point, and Bella wasted no time in taking the fragile girl off the board and running as fast as her legs could take them onto the dry beach. She ripped the ankle thing off and laid her down, face up.

Rosalie and the rest of her family, along with paramedics were running to them, but they would take much too long for her to start breathing again and survive.

She shook Alice's shoulders, not getting a response. "Alice! Can you hear me? Alice!"

Nothing.

She put her head down on Alice's small chest and listened. There was liquid sloshing in her chest. She had swallowed a lot of water.

She put her hand a bare quarter inch from the girl's face, no air.

"Fuck." She performed a chin lift, using both hands to open the tiny surfer's airways. She pinched the tiny nose with her fingers until it was sealed, and blew three rescue breaths into her mouth. She pulled away and placed both hands on the girl's diaphragm, two fingers below her sternum. She pumped ten times the first time, and listened again. Still no air.

She did three more rescue breaths, but by this time, Rosalie had already reached them, crying her eyes out and screaming. She looked a mess.

"_Oh my god! Ali!_" The blond was raking her hands over and over in her hair, screaming and shouting at her unconscious sister. Her face was red and blotchy, "_Ali, please wake up! Breathe!_"

She pumped Alice's chest fifteen times this round, and heard her wheeze, before quickly turning her over, allowing the water to leave her mouth and nose. She gagged, her hands clutching Bella as she threw up the salt water.

She moved Alice's bottom leg into a 90 degree angle, her other out in a relaxed position. She moved her arms so that her head would be angled downward, airways and passages open for more possible fluid expulsion. It was then that she gently touched the baby blue sparkling bracelet that was still on Alice's thin wrist. She smiled, and kissed it softly before kissing the girl's head.

Bella looked up at Rosalie and asked her, "Can you get me some clean water and a blanket?"

"Y-Yes, Bella!" The blond turned tail and ran to the closest group of people, demanding a blanket and a bottle of pure water. When they handed it to her, she came running back, still terrified. "Is she going to be okay, Bella?"

"Yes, she'll be fine. She's probably just exhausted..." Bella looked at the cut on Alice's head and scowled. "Where is Jacob?"

"Your dad arrested him." She began to cry again.

"BELLA!" Emmett and the rest of the Cullens, along with Leslie and the paramedics arrived, all of them screaming. "ALI!"

"She's alright, Emmett." Bella sighed, her chest tight, gasping. "Does anyone have my inhaler?"

Leslie produced one, and shook it, pressing it into the brunette's mouth. She took deep drags of it, and fell backward, unconscious.

While she was out, the people never stopped panicking around them. Only the Cullens and Leslie were calm. The paramedics looked over Alice and Bella both, and were happy with the results.

"I think this has to be the most heroic thing I've ever seen." One of the men exclaimed. "Little Bella Swan, running into the ocean to save someone's life. Never thought I'd see the day!"

"Damn heroic, it was." A woman laughed, "They both got out, safe and sound, and the girl managed to keep it together long enough to perform CPR and make sure the girl _stayed _alive!"

"Charlie should be proud." Leslie nodded at the male of the two.

"I'm sure he is proud of her. He always has been." She looked over Bella and then turned to the Cullens. "Are you guys going to stay for the competition?"

"No way." Rosalie bawled, "I'm going to be with them at the hospital."

"Me, too. There's no way I'm surfing without Ali-cat or Bella-bear." Emmett hugged his wife, "It wouldn't be the same."

"Then, let's go." Violet whined as Esme led her children to their vehicles. They would meet up there.

* * *

><p><strong>See, I told you you'd say 'WTF?' repeatedly. Don't you just love Bella right about now? To face her fear for the woman she loves...<strong>

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Leave me some love if you did.**

**Namaste!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Namaste! **

**What a tragic last chapter! Well, it's time to get on to better things, right? Onward!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys. It makes my whole day. **

**thanks for the proverbial kick in the rear from MyPeepingTom. Keep those shades drawn, buddy. **

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Thursday – Surf Competition Day 4<strong>

An insistent beeping seemed to be tearing a hole into Bella's ears, making her wince and groan aloud. She reached over to try to hit the thing, but her arm only got tangled up in...tubes?

"No fucking way." A chuckle alerted her to the presence of another. "No way. Am I in a hospital?"

"We had to bring you in. You had a slight head injury from Jacob, you passed out on the beach, and as it turns out, you were a little drowned, too. A lot of salt water in your belly." The person sat on the edge of the bed, and Chocolates locked with lovingly maternal green eyes. "I owe you."

"F-For what, Esme?" Bella sat up, holding her head. "Damn. I still feel like crap."

"That's to be expected." The woman chuckled, "I'll call my husband now to come check on you."

"Err...thanks?" Bella whimpered, and then sighed. She was in a hospital room. So it wasn't a dream or unwishful thinking. "Where's Ali?"

"That's definitely something I expected to hear walking in here." Carlisle grinned, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a semi, what happened to Alice? Is she okay?" The brunette turned pale, "She's still alive, isn't she? I-I did the best I could-"

"She's fine, Bella. She already woke up, and was asking about you." He touched the top of her head gently, "You did amazingly. We saw you run into the water, dive in, and not come up until you were...far out onto the water. Rosalie was tempted to jump in after you, but she knew she wouldn't be able to catch you."

"Then, the waiting started. We saw you break the water with Alice, and we all began to panic even more...we were worried that she had hit her head on the ocean floor, which would have killed her..." He sighed, sitting down next to the patient. "And then, you reached the beach, and performed CPR! We were shocked that you knew how to perform CPR, as not many teenagers would have need for that type of knowledge. And you performed it flawlessly. She was breathing when we reached you all, and she was simply unconscious, as you were."

"It was nothing." Bella blushed darkly. "I-I just did what I had to. To save her."

"We are..." Carlisle couldn't find the words, so he just hugged her tightly, "Thank you so much...for saving our baby."

"Anytime." the brunette looked at her arms and sighed in relief. "No needles! YES!"

"Don't like needles, huh?" Blue eyes lit up in mirth.

"No way. Whoever does like em is a sicko." She wrinkled her nose, "Especially those acupuncture people. Ugh! Who does that?"

"Some people say it relieves stress." The blond doctor offered.

"Well, some people are crazy." She chuckled, "Is there any chance of me seeing Alice right now? I kinda can't wait."

"It seems that...I can't stop you." He winked, "Follow me."

He got off the bed, and held a hand out for her. She blushed as she realized that she was only wearing a hospital gown.

"W-Where is my bathing suit?" She squeaked, covering her ass with her hands, "I feel so exposed!"

"The doctors didn't want you to get a cold or anything wearing so little that was wet, so they took it off of you. I had Esme head to your house to get some clothes for you while she was going to get things for Alice." He turned to the door, "Just endure it for a while. She'll be back in a few minutes. She hates being away from you two for more than ten."

He walked her across the hall and knocked on the door out of courtesy before opening it and allowing Bella inside. There, on the bed, was the small, fragile frame of Alice Cullen.

Bella choked on air as she saw the huge bandage on the girl's head. How badly had she hurt her head?

The pixie had heard the gasp, and turned her head. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she practically screamed in happiness.

"BELLA!" the brunette rushed over to the bed, jumping onto Alice, though careful about her head wound. "Bella, you're finally awake!"

"I'm just happy that _you _are awake!" Bella blushed darkly, "God, you don't know how scared I was, Alice."

"Bella..." The tiny girl threw her arms around the brunette and began to sob into her chest. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you..."

"There was no way for you to have known something like this would have happened..." The taller girl sighed, "Scoot over."

The surfer moved over and clung to the main-lander as she pulled the blanket back and sat down underneath it. They cuddled close to each other, and the brunette sighed into the pixie's hair. She reached up and gently touched the bandage on the girl's head. "What happened here?"

"I have a cut on it. Nothing major, but some salt water did get into it, so they're a little worried. I'm not though." She giggled, "They say it'll leave a scar, though."

"Turn so I can see it better." The girl did turn, and sighed as Bella placed a very soft kiss over the bandage. "Did they tell you what happened? Do you remember anything from before you were underwater?"

"Yeah, I was out on the surf, totally owning it, and then Jacob swerved too close to me for it to be an accident. He reached out and hit me on the head. I fell forward and hit it even harder against my board and busted my head open a little. I fell unconscious. They told me you swam way out into the water, and you actually pulled me out." Her golden eyes were so full of love and admiration, Bella felt her heart flutter warmly. "Then, you got me to shore and performed CPR to get me breathing again."

"You had a lot of water in your chest. I had to restrain myself from turning you onto your back and beating it out." She half joked, and cleared her throat, "I was afraid I would be too late, but I kept checking your pulse to make sure you at least had a heart beat. I don't even think you **not** having one would have kept me from still trying to save your life."

"Thank you for saving me, Bella." Alice's amber eyes were sincere, and the taller girl couldn't help but take Alice's far hand, and pulling it so the girl was pressed up against her. Molten chocolates swirled with different emotions as they searched for a hint or something that would indicate that the pixie did not feel the same way she did right then and there. She didn't find anything at all to indicate that.

The two girls sighed, eyes never straying. The surfer blushed lightly, her cheeks dusted with pink as her lips parted gently as she took slightly labored breaths. Bella wasn't much better off. One of her hands came up and gently soothed the pixie's cheek, cupping it gently.

As if gravity was pulling them together, Bella leaned down slowly as Alice leaned up, angling her face slightly to the side, their breath intermingling in the two inches that separated them. The black-haired girl whimpered softly, and as if they were individuals who had been stuck in the desert without water for a month, they quickly closed the distance between them, their lips brushing against each other gently.

The smaller girl pushed up further, gasping. They pulled apart for a second, only to come back together just as quickly, hands clutching and lips professing their adoration. When the brunette realized that the surfer was leaning backwards to lay down, she gently pulled away, kissing her softly a few more times before pulling back all the way.

"Bella?" Alice was breathless, but worried. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is perfect." She nuzzled into the little pixie's neck. "Beyond perfect. Everything is absolutely, positively...there aren't words."

"Grreatt." She giggled, pulling the brunette to a reclining position with her. "Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah...how long have we been here? What day is it?" She scratched her scalp and sighed, "Because I honestly have no clue."

"We are in Day 4 of the competition...so that would make us...Thursday." She bit her lip, "It's weird not surfing when there's a competition day going on."

"I'm sorry, but you almost drowning almost makes me feel like tying you up and not letting you surf for the rest of your life." Bella muttered lowly, "You're crazy."

"You _could _save me again, right?" The surfer cuddled into her side, "Or was that a one time thing? Because, I have to admit, almost dying and being rescued by you was nothing short of amazing."

"It's definitely something I wouldn't want to do every day," She smiled softly, letting her fingers toy with Alice's little ear, "But it's most definitely not a one time thing. It can't be."

"Why is that?" the littlest Cullen asked quietly.

"Because the day it becomes a one-time thing, is the day I died after saving you." She said it with a nod. "Anyway, I think it's time for me to go back to my own room. I think my nurses are pulling their own hair out at this point looking for me."

"Oh, please don't go!" Alice clutched onto the main-lander, "Please?"

"Ali, the sooner we're released the sooner you can cling to me all you want, alright? Right now you need to rest and get your head back into shape. You did take a hard knocking." Bella kissed her one last time before climbing out of the bed and covering her rear as she walked away, blushing.

She pushed the door open and met Carlisle in the hallway.

"You actually left the room of your own will? One that contained Alice? Who are you, and what have you done with the old Bella Swan?" He laughed softly, his shoulders shaking.

"Maybe she drowned." She shrugged, "Anyway, is Esme here yet? I have some place to be right at this minute."

"Yeah, I just sent her into your room with your clothes." He pushed her room door open, and Esme was there, a huge smile plastered to her face.

"Here you are." She placed a duffel bag down on the bed, "We'll be right outside the door if you need anything."

"Alright. Thank you." She watched them close the door, and she nearly ripped the hospital gown off. She dug through the bag and found civilian clothes in it. Great.

She pulled on the panties and bra she found, and nearly tripped as she was yanking her jeans up her thighs. When that was done and accomplished, she pulled her shirt on over her head, socks next. She slipped on some sea green Vans flats and was ready.

She pulled the door open and flashed the parents of the love of her life a huge smile.

"You clean up good." Esme chuckled.

"Thank you." She laced her fingers together behind her and tried her best to look cute, "So...do you think I can get released right now?"

"I already have your papers done. You're free to walk out whenever you like." He motioned to the doors at the end of the hall. "What I want to know...is whether or not you're going to tell Alice where you're going? I know she'll...have an anxiety attack, if she doesn't know you're gone."

"I'm not too worried. She's in a hospital." Bella sighed, "I really need to go right now, though. Is that alright? I'll be back as soon as I can, and if I'm not allowed back in, I'll come in the morning."

"That's fine." The blond doctor nodded, and turned to his wife. "Will you go check on Alice?"

She nodded, and went into her daughter's hospital room, shutting the door behind her.

"When is she getting released?" Bella tilted her head in curiosity.

"Tomorrow. Will you be here?" He raised a brow. AS if. Of course she'd be there.

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." She waved at him before turning and running off down the hall, through the doors, down the stairs and clear out of the hospital.

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" Bella yelled as she entered the police station. She'd never been so angry in her life, but she didn't really care at this moment. "WHERE?"<p>

"Bella, please calm down. He's in a holding cell. He isn't getting out any time soon." Charlie had been pale the whole time both daughters had been unconscious, but when he'd been assured that they would be okay, he took Jacob straight to the slammer. "He's been here since the incident."

"I want to see him." Bella took a deep breath, smiling at her father, "Hi, daddy."

"Hi, pumpkin..." He was nervous now. She called him 'daddy'. Lord save the boy, and Heavens help him now. "I-I don't think-"

"Daddy, please. I want to see him." Bella excused herself and walked around her father to the farthest cell. In it, Jacob was lying asleep on the metal cot. Totally at ease, was he? "Unlock the doors, daddy. Please."

"Bella, I can't." He placed a hand on his hip, "As a police officer."

"Then do it as my father." She begged him, "He almost killed her. Do you understand that? Do you realize that if he _had _killed her, I would already be in prison for murder?"

"I..." He grunted. She _would _use this tactic, right? "Bells, come on."

"Don't you defend his actions. He almost drowned her. He was jealous of her, and was planning on seriously hurting her. Let me in." Bella took the keys from his belt and unlocked the doors before he could come up with another excuse. She looked at her father pleasantly, "You can lock it behind me, if it makes you feel better."

"Alright, my little bandida." He just smiled. He closed it behind her and stepped away.

"Jake? Jakey? Wake up." She shook his shoulder gently, as if in a friendly manner. Charlie knew better. "Jaaaaake! Wake up, sleepy head!"

"Wha? Bells?" He sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and smiling innocently at her. Ah, the beauty of post-sleep ignorance. "What time is it? And why are you here? You usually don't wake up until noon." He then looked around, confused.

And then it hit him. He turned pale, and looked up at her. Right into her almost black brown eyes. She swung her fist at him, making him fall off the cot with a cry. She hit him right in the face.

"Morning, Jake!" She said cheerfully. "Bout time you woke up. I was beginning to think you were the one who was drowned, and not the love of my life, of course not!"

"Bella, wait-" He held his hands up, only to have them swatted down and to receive another fist in his face. "Bella, stop!"

"No, you _should have stopped yesterday!" _She swung at him again, but he blocked it, luckily. She brought her leg up and kicked him straight where it would hurt. And it did hurt. Much worse than when Alice had kicked him, because she had been so little...Bella was normal sized. "Were you trying to kill her? Did you honestly think that hurting her in any way would get me to come flying to you? That I would _ever _forgive you for something like that? Did you? Because if you did, you are a fucking idiot!"

"I didn't mean to drown her!" He whined on the floor, curled in a fetal position. "I only meant to toss her off her board, I didn't think she'd hit her head or anything!"

"But she did hit her head. She was more than half drowned when I got her back to the beach. I went out and got her personally. Bet you didn't know that, huh?" She hollered at him, her veins sticking out of her neck. "I swear to God, Jacob, if she has worse injuries because of the wound on her head, so help me...I would go to prison for killing you. I wouldn't hesitate."

"Bella, that's a little harsh." He whined. "She's just a girl!"

"Just a girl, Jacob?" She scoffed and laughed, "**I **am _just a girl. _She's _my girl._ You want to mess with my girl?"

She bent down to his level and glared at him as hard and harsh as she could.

"You're lucky that Charlie didn't lend me his mace, nightstick or gun." She kicked his leg, "Would have made this visit all the more fun."

She motioned for her shocked father to open the doors, and he did so in a quick fashion. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, daddy." She hugged him as he closed the door, "If she isn't pressing charges, I want to. He isn't getting away with a damn thing as long as I'm alive."

"Right." He chuckled. "That's my girl."

"Well, I'm gonna go see the Cullen Five minus One, and then I'm heading back to the hospital. Call me if you need anything." She waved over her shoulder and left just as quickly as she came.

* * *

><p>"Hey guys." Bella yelled into the huge Cullen house as she entered it. "Anyone home?"<p>

"BELLA!" Everyone seemed to be yelling for her, hugging her and kissing her cheeks like crazy. They spun her around, and ruffled her hair affectionately. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good. Just came back from the police station." Rosalie looked pissed. Probably because of 'what lurked' there. "Don't worry. I kicked his ass pretty thoroughly. He won't fuck with us anymore. He won't _pray _to fuck with Alice anymore. I taught him not to."

"Good." Emmett huffed, "Can't wait till the bastard gets out."

"No, no." the brunette shook her head, "You guys can't kill him. I already said I would go to prison for killing him, so that's my job."

"Can't we just blame it on you?" Edward laughed, hugging the brunette tightly, "God, it's so good to see that you're awake!"

"All of us were pretty much shitting bricks while you were unconscious. We couldn't even get up the nerve to go see Ali...we had heard she was really pale and stuff." Rosalie bit her lip. "It scared us all. She scared us all."

"I already had told you that she was going to be fine. I performed the CPR myself. I knew that she was breathing. That was the biggest concern. That she hadn't been breathing. You need to breathe to keep the heart going." Bella ran her hands through her hair, "I would have used the paddles on her if I needed to."

"I don't know what I would have done if I was in your shoes, Bella." Jasper frowned, head down, "I wouldn't have been able to save her."

"Me, neither." Edward looked at Jasper, reaching out to hold his hand.

"I think...I would have been too terrified to even check if she was breathing." Rosalie laughed gently as she cried. "I-I wouldn't have saved her. I probably would have ended up endangering her more."

"You know what?" Bella touched her lip in thought, "If it will make you guys feel better, I can take you guys to go get CPR certified. That way, if anything like this ever happens, you'll be ready for it. How does that sound?"

They all nodded, and Emmett hugged his wife tightly.

"Then, we'll go right now. I was on my way back to the hospital to see Ali again. She woke up a few hours before I did, and was harassing the nurses about me." Bella snickered, "Oh, and she saw me, and Lord, she almost jumped out of her bed. Even with that huge bandage on her head, she was still beautiful."

"That's not surprising." Edward rested his head against his boyfriend's shoulder. "Should we go now?"

"Yep. Right now."

* * *

><p>"Now, now." Carlisle looked at all of his children, minus Alice, standing in a single file signing something at the counter. "What's going on?"<p>

"Dr. Cullen?" The nurse Bella had talked to was addressing him now. "Your children have expressed interest in becoming CPR and First Aid certified."

"I can't say that doesn't please me." He rubbed his chin and smiled, "Carry on."

"Yes, sir." The nurse nodded and led the Cullen Five minus One and Bella to an empty presentation room. "Isabella here has already done this numerous times, but it's always good to keep updated on new finds and things. She can explain a few things to you before the instructor comes in."

With that, she turned and left.

Everyone looked at Bella expectantly, and she just laughed and rubbed her face.

"Alright..." She spoke quietly, "This class takes _forever, _but it's only four hours long, and half way through, we get a break. What happens here is, we learn how to perform CPR on a baby, a child, and an adult. We use mannequins. After that, we learn First Aid."

"Sounds awesome." Emmett was already seemingly bored, but it would be worth it when he knew how to save a person from drowning and keep them breathing.

"It is. It also comes _in handy._" Rosalie half glared at her husband, who just laughed.

"The Cullen Five?" A handsome young man came into the room, eyeing all of them, but especially lingering on the brunette, "And you must be Bella."

"Yes, I am Bella." The brunette shook the man's hand, and he smiled in a flirtatious way. She pulled her hand away nicely, and bit her lip, "I'm just here to look in. I might jump in to work on my technique once in a while. I hope you don't mind that?"

"Of course not." He finally seemed to get comfortable. In his spandex shorts and underarmour shirt that fit a little too snugly. "I would be glad to help you."

"...meathead!" Emmett coughed under his breath, snickering.

"Are you okay, sir?" The man asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry." The bear covered his mouth, brows up high. "I'm just fine."

"That's great." He dismissed, eyes going back to Bella, who frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah..." Bella was turning red in the face, and she began to sweat. "Not used to wearing much clothing now..."

"...dickwad!" Jasper coughed, wincing as he held this throat. "Oh, that hurt."

"Is there something going on?" The man flexed his arms, and Rosalie cracked, laughing aloud. "Is something funny?"

"No, no no!" She gasped, hand clutching her chest, "Oh god. I am so sorry."

"No problem." He chuckled at the blond, turning back to Bella, "So, what do you say we get started?"

"Sounds agreeable." The brunette nodded.

"Can you get the baby mannequins from the bottom row of that cabinet? I'm going to get the plastic mouth guards on the topmost shelf." He motioned to the small plastic babies on the bottom row, and she nodded.

She bent over and pulled one baby out, and then another, not standing upright. The instructor came up from behind her and bumped her accidentally with his crotch.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He grinned hugely. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward were seeing red at this point. "Clumsy me."

"No, it's fine." Bella bit her lip to ignore the bad feeling she had. Did he just bump her with his crotch on purpose? No, he was a CPR instructor. They don't do unprofessional things like that. "We only need five, right?"

"Yes, that would be prefect." He brushed against her again, and she ignored it. When she had all the babies, she picked them up and walked them over to the table in the middle of the room. She placed them down on the table and looked up at furious faces.

"What?" She whispered, and they all took deep breaths.

"Nothing." Rosalie flicked her hair over her shoulder. Gah, it's a Rosalie thing.

"Are we ready to get started?" The man came over and stood next to Bella, his arm brushing hers. Bella subtly moved over to the other side of the table, looking and touching her plastic baby with soft touches.

"Please, fish the plastic bags through the babies' mouths, with the opening coming out of the baby's mouth." He took Bella's baby and did as he instructed. Emmett got his finger caught in the baby's small mouth, but other than that, they managed to do it without messing up.

"Alright. Now, we learn about the chin tilt. What you're going to do, is hold the baby's head up by the chin with one finger, or two fingers if you have little fingers." He had Bella do it to her baby after he'd done it once. "Excellent, excellent."

"Now, practice breaths." He taught them to breathe into the bags until the small chests would rise and fall when they would let go. "If they come up too low, and come down too quickly, you aren't breathing enough air into them. Try to not pop the bag, though. Imagine those are a baby's lungs. Don't want to blow their lungs up."

"Alright. Good job, everyone." He took Bella's baby again, and showed where their fingers would need to be, "With one finger, you will give small, firm presses. Not too hard, because a baby's sternum isn't strong enough to withstand your full strength."

They did small pumps.

"Okay. Now, we put it all together. Rescue breaths and pumps to the chest. Give me two breaths, and five pumps. Go." They did it, and Emmett accidentally fumbled his baby, cursing. "Here you go."

The instructor passed him is baby again, and Emmett did it again, successfully this time.

"Good job, everyone. You have saved your babies lives." He chortled, and had everyone sit down. "Now, we are going to save them from choking."

"What you're going to do is," He took Bella's baby, "Look into the baby's mouth. If you can't see anything, but the baby is choking, turn the baby over so it's chest is on your palm, and his neck is supported with your fingers. Then, with firm strokes, you thump the baby's back like this."

He did as he said, and everyone else did it, too.

"Great. That completes choking and CPR for babies. Now, onto children." He took the babies and threw them underneath the cabinet.

"What's this guy's problem?" Jasper frowned. "He was eager to teach earlier."

"Maybe he wants to get this overwith so he can go off with Bella." Rosalie guffawed, along with Emmett, who was laughing at the hilarity that the guy even thought he had a chance with her.

"She's _gay _for Christ's sake!" Edward clutched his stomach, nearly jumping out of his skin when Bella slammed down a child mannequin onto the table.

"What was that, Cullen?" Bella whispered, winking at him. "I think you guys should be a little more into the training than my personal life."

"We don't agree." Rosalie wiped at her eyes. "Oh, that was so good."

"Shh, he's coming back." Bella wrinkled her nose.

"Oh, Bella, I think I don't have time to teach them the child CPR. I'll just credit it to them." He smirked cockily, "I think we should just skip right into Adult CPR."

"Fuck." Emmett rubbed his eyes. "Shouldn't we learn Child for Ali? She's child-sized."

"I can teach it to you guys better than this guy can." Bella scoffed, "He's an idiot."

"Glad you agree." The Hales crossed their arms over their chests.

"I don't have any...adult mannequins...so we'll need a volunteer." He looked at everyone, but then snapped his fingers. "Since they're learning, it's between you and me, Bella."

"Oh great." Bella paled a little. He came up behind her and touched her back with both of his hands at her hips. "I-I guess I'll volunteer. For these guys."

She begged them with her eyes. _'Please don't let this guy put his fucking mouth on mine!'_

"We will be going over the Heimlich maneuver first. So please stand right here." He pointed to a spot in front of him. "Now, can any one of you tell me what the universal sign of choking is?"

Emmett raised his hand. The instructor looked at him expectantly.

"Can you do it?" The bear nodded, his hands going to his throat.

"Perfect." He nodded, "Now, when someone is choking, or unable to speak, you automatically assume you are to do the Heimlich Maneuver. However, not everyone is as nice as a person who would save another's life would be. They could actually sue you for trying to save their life, if they didn't want you to, or claim that you took liberties. There is an act that can protect you, as long as you know about it. It's called The Good Citizen Act. Remember that name."

The Cullens nodded, somewhat out of boredom and something to do.

"Now, when someone is choking, you get behind them like this," The man was suddenly hugging the brunette main-lander from behind, making her squeak. He brought his hands to where her ribs ended, fingers caressing gently.

Emmett grit his teeth. The others covered their discomfort a little better than he did.

"You make this," He brought his hands together, his thumb sticking out in Bella's direction, "and lay your thumb over your hands. Using a scooping motion, you'll help force out the object in the person's throat with the air pressure. Let me show you." He moved his hands closer to her, using a scooping motion, as he said, but his hips were slamming into her from behind at his force, and she bit her lip, almost ready to turn around and hit him.

"That is when someone is choking. Now, if you happen to be doing this to someone who is much taller than you are, you can bend them over a chair or table and do it." Bella pushed out of his arms before he could demonstrate that as well.

"Time for the CPR." He almost clapped his hands in excitement. Fuck. "If you could just lay down on the floor here, that would be perfect."

Bella sighed and dropped onto the floor, laying completely still. "Now, everyone, let's apply the same principles as before. Chin tilt, open the airways, check for obstruction, rescue breaths and chest pumps."

"I'll take over for you, sir." A bell-like voice chimed over the baritone of the instructor. He jumped up in alarm, and then spun around on his knees to look at little Alice, a new, little orange bandage on her head covered by a purple beenie.

"I'm sorry?" He flexed his arms, and she giggled.

"My, you have some muscled arms there, don't you?" She skipped over to where he was, and nudged him aside, "Don't worry fair maiden. I will give you the breath of life!"

"Oh, wait-" The instructor tried to stop her, but Alice just pushed him away with one hand, and dropped her head to slam her lips against Bella's. "Err..."

"Alice!" Bella pretended to gasp, throwing her arms around the pixie surfer.

"She's alive!" The tiny girl screamed, laughing. "Hey, there."

"Get us out of here, it's totally not worth it!" She whispered pleadingly, "He's been on my ass since we'd started. _Literally!_"

"Oh no. That won't do." She looked at the instructor with cold eyes. "Have you been touching my fair maiden?"

"O-Of course not." He stood up and tried to use his hands to hide his imminent erection. Two girls kissing was too hot for him, apparently. "If you'll excuse me."

"Oh my god!" Emmett slapped his leg, "He's got a boner!"

"It's tiny!" Edward gasped, laughing aloud. "Jasper, look! It's little!"

"Trying to compensate with those muscles, huh?" Rosalie asked huskily, wrinkling her nose at the truly 'tiny' boner. "How unattractive."

"Y-Your CPR cards will be at the front desk when you leave." He blushed and rushed out of the room, tail between his legs.

"So, why are you sea monkeys here learning CPR?" Alice looked at her siblings curiously. "You don't need to know it."

"Yeah, but yesterday opened our eyes to the possibilities that we may just need it one day." Jasper sighed, "We realized that, if Bella hadn't done what she had done..."

"If she hadn't jumped into the water to save you, Alice..." Edward took his boyfriend's hand.

"Hell, even if we had gotten into the water to pull you out, we would have been sitting ducks, because we wouldn't know what to do after that." Emmett pouted at the floor. "What good would that do? Getting you out of the ocean, but not getting the ocean out of you? You'd still be drowned on dry land."

"We wanted to be able to do something next time...because, whether we like it or not..." She looked at Bella apologetically, "We won't always be here. Bella won't always be with us. We need to be ready."

"It's good that you want to be prepared." Alice nodded, "However,"

Everyone looked up at her in confusion, wondering just what the surfer princess would say.

"I don't know how good it'll be for me, if I may not surf again." Everyone's jaw dropped to the ground, shock going through the room. "What's with the long faces?"

"Not surf again?" Emmett held onto his sister's shoulders, trying his best to not shake her and give her whiplash. "Are you not right in the head? You were _born _to surf! That's why we call you Surfer-Ali! Why we took up this whole career as a group, a unit! We've traveled the world doing this, Ali-cat! And to hear you say that you may not ever surf again?"

"Alice, why wouldn't you surf again?" Edward brushed his older brother off of their baby sister and looked right into her sad golden eyes. "Can you tell us why?"

"I-I'm going to give you guys some..privacy." Bella turned and sprinted out of the room, her breathing harsh. Once she cleared the room and was out in the hallway, she went straight to the counter, "Can you please call Dr. Cullen? Tell him it's a Bella Swan emergency."

"No problem." She picked up the phone and called for him, but not letting it be broadcast to the entire hospital. "He says he will be right down, and to not panic and keep breathing."

"Yes, thank you." Bella nodded to her and backed up, sitting in the opposite hallway of the room they'd had their CPR certification class. When the blond man had come running into the lobby, she waved him down, and he walked briskly to her, eyes worried.

"Is everything alright? What's happening?" Bella asked him to sit, and he did so nervously. "Is something the matter?"

"What's wrong with Alice? What is going on in her head with her wound?" He looked taken back by her words. "I'm serious. I don't care much for patient/doctor confidentiality."

"Nothing is wrong with her head. She's perfectly fine, why?" He ran his hands through his hair. Nervous habit, she supposed.

"She's saying that she may never surf again. I wanted to know if it was an injury or something. Is she not capable of it anymore?" Bella scratched her ears. "Was it the accident?"

"No, she's perfectly healthy. If she wanted, she could go on to surf tomorrow under supervision." He was shocked at his daughter's words. Never surf again? Alice Cullen said that? "Who did she say that to?"

"All of us. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Edward and myself." She leaned against the wall. "She can't do that. She can't give it up without a reason."

"Maybe...dying was enough of a scare for her to stay away?" Carlisle suggested quietly, not quite believing it.

"No, that couldn't possibly be it." Bella bit her lip. "There has to be something else."

"Could she possibly just...not want to do it anymore?" The doctor sighed, "Because, she has been doing this for years."

"With great reason! She loves it! I've seen her out there. She couldn't live without it. There's no way she's just quitting. Not here in Washington, and not this decade." She threw her arms up. "Maybe if I just get her back out there, she'll remember what it's like."

"Or...you could just convince her to surf the rest of this competition, and at the end, she could decide whether or not she wants to continue surfing." He leaned back in his seat tiredly.

"That's brilliant. We're going with that." She scratched her scalp harshly, "Ugh. That little annoying pixie!"

"She is adorable, though." Carlisle's eyes softened, "My little one."

"Alright, that's all I wanted to ask and talk about." She sighed, "Thanks for coming here and talking me out of relationship homicide."

"No problem. I will always have time for a Bella Swan Emergency." He chuckled, going back up the stairs. "I got her cleared today. She's free to go home with you guys when you go."

"Awesome." Bella skipped back to where she'd left the Cullen Five.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun, dun, dun! Alice may never surf again? Wahh? That's right, folks. Will Bella be able to convince her otherwise? What are her reasons for quitting? Guess we'll find out tomorrow, huh?<strong>

**And yes, the CPR instructor had a tiny boner. haha**

**Namaste!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Namaste!**

**We all love Bellice, now don't we? I especially love them. I have a lot of stories in my Barnes and Noble Nook. :D That's all I read now.**

* * *

><p>"Bella, what are we doing out here?" Alice asked as Bella pulled the yellow Mercedes to a stop in the parking lot of the beach access.<p>

"What do you think we're doing out here? We're here for the Day 4 after event." The brunette reached behind the seat and produced one bathing suit, "Now suit up."

"Bella, please, I don't-" The taller girl leaned over the seat, smashing her lips against Alice's willing lips. They moved together softly at first, and then a little more passionately before the taller girl gasped and pulled away just as quickly as she'd pushed in.

"Please." The pixie pouted and did as she was asked, changing underneath a towel that Bella was holding up.

"I'm done." Alice looked down at the bathing suit she was wearing and blinked in confusion, "Why gold?"

"Because that's the color Rosalie wanted tonight." Bella pulled her shirt over her head and stretched, thrusting her chest out. "It feels great to not wear such stuffy clothes. I was suffocating at the hospital."

"You've adopted the surfer ways, have you?" The tiny surfer giggled, "What's the event tonight?"

"You." Alice's eyes widened before they snapped to Bella's face. She winked at her and climbed out of the car, walking around to the other side and opening the door for her. "Come on. Can't be later to your own party."

"B-But, why is it _my _party?" Alice bit her lip, "I haven't done anything."

"You're their Princess of the Ocean. Queen of the Ocean, if I remember it well..." The taller girl pulled her out of the car and kissed her softly before closing the car door and locking it. "Come on."

She pulled her onto the beach, and almost as soon as they were spotted, all of the fans and surfers alike dropped to their knees, hands over their hearts.

"W-Why are they doing this?" The tiny girl began to cry, "What is going on?"

"You are a legend, Alice." The brunette pulled her toward the huge bonfire that was surrounded by chairs and bags of food. "They almost lost you, so tonight, they'd adopted a no-nonsense night. Just dancing, swimming, and food."

"Where is-"

"Surfer-Ali!" Emmett ran at the two girls, swinging his heavy arms around the both of them, "Finally you're here!"

"Where is everyone, Emmett?" He nodded toward the bonfire, on the far side where they could now see Rosalie and Edward passing out torches to light up the other bonfires. The Cullen family was wearing golden bathing suits, and it looked like Jasper and Carlisle were grilling burgers and hot dogs on a number of huge silver grills. They had a volunteers standing behind each grill, heating up food and serving it out to the people who came up for some. "Ah, hard at work."

"Come on!" He carried us much like a child would carry a couple of puppies and rushed us over to their little areas, "DJ SPIN THAT SHIT!"

Pitbull's Shut It Down was playing loudly in the background, and people began to dance in front of the eighteen wheeler. Different colors were flying over the bikini'd women and short-clad boys.

"Alice!" Rosalie dropped what she was doing and rushed over to the two girls, who Emmett had dropped into a heap in the sand with a guffaw. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel good! This place is amazing!" Her stomach growled loudly and she blushed, "I'm starving, though."

"Daddy! Ali's hungry!" Carlisle looked over where Emmett had shouted at him and smiled. He flipped out two hamburgers and two hot dogs, putting one of each on separate plates and handing them to Jasper, who ran over to them.

"What do you want to drink?" The blond asked Bella, who blinked in confusion. "There is no alcohol here tonight."

"Oh, well then." She chuckled, "I want a Dr. Pepper."

"I want a Sprite." Alice giggled, snuggling into her love's side.

"Coming right up." He nodded before walking over to the cooler and producing two canned sodas. "Here you are ladies."

They thanked him and he walked away. They ate in comfortable, soft chatter, and gentle kisses. Esme and Carlisle would look over once in a while, and they'd smile happily.

Once the food was polished off and everyone was calming down, Emmett came back with huge bags full of mystery things.

"SMORES!" He shouted, and grinned hugely, "Bonfire captains! Come collect for your bonfire, and everyone break off!"

Almost fifty people came up to Emmett, and he handed them two bags of marshmallows, a full bag of Hershey's milk chocolate bars, and three boxes of graham crackers. Once everyone had broken off, the Cullen family including Violet, Swan family and Billy and Leslie sat around the huge bonfire and laughed and joked, telling stories and spending time together.

Once those were cleared out, Bella led Alice to the water, and noticed her hesitation. She hugged her, and brought her closer until they were ankle deep in the cool water.

"I know what you're doing." Alice whispered, "Why?"

"Because I won't let you throw it away." The brunette shook her head, "Not tonight. Or tomorrow night. Hell, not even next week."

"But if I keep surfing, I'll end up leaving you behind, Bella." She swallowed hard, soft tears streaking down her cheeks, "I don't want to leave you behind. I can't."

"I'll always be here, Alice. I won't go anywhere. You'll always know where I am. I promise." She gently wiped the tears away from her eyes, "I'll always be here for you, Ali-baby."

"Saying that won't make it easier for me, Bella." The surfer whimpered, pressing into the soft hands wiping her tears away, "Please don't make me decide."

"You not doing what you love would be me making you decide." She whispered soothingly to her love, "And I only say things like that so you'll know that it's the truth, and that it won't change. The whole world could change, but I would never."

"But I can live without surfing!" She half whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks faster than before, "Please, Bella!"

"No, Alice." She shook her head, "You won't throw this away for me. I won't let you do something like that."

"It's my life. I can do what I want with it, and if I want to stay, I will." She strained her jaw tightly, "You won't change my mind."

"You're choosing wrong." Chocolate eyes melted into caramels, "Don't choose me over your dreams."

"You're a part of my dreams. I can't have them without you." Her hands clutched at her bare skin, and the brunette sighed. "I don't want them without you."

"What about my dreams?" Bella asked, trying her best to ignore the hurt that flashed across the pixie's expression. "Have you thought about what I wanted to do?"

"I-I'm sorry." Alice's hands moved away from the warm skin of her love and laced her fingers behind her back. "I haven't..thought about what you want at all."

"Come on." Bella pulled her deeper into the water, sitting when she was waist deep. She pulled the tiny surfer against her chest, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Maybe." Golden eyes were sad as she smiled at her. She leaned her head against the other girl's and sighed softly. "What's your secret? Maybe I'll tell you one in response."

"I think I'm getting over my fears of the ocean." She leaned up and pressed her lips gently to Alice's, biting onto her lower lip softly, "And it's thanks to you."

"How is it thanks to me? I almost drowned in it." The black-haired girl rolled her eyes, returning her kiss with the same effort, "I don't see that as helpful."

"Well, think of it this way." She wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her even closer and dipping lower into the water, "If it wasn't for you, I would never have stepped foot onto the sand. You let me take it as slowly as I wanted so I could get comfortable with it. After that, we sat on the beach and just talked..."

"Shortly after that, I came to the competition with you. You showed me that I shouldn't fear the ocean when you were out on your board doing your thing." she kissed her again, "And yesterday...you made me realize that I shouldn't let my fears get in the way of what is important. I realized that I have to do what I have to, to make sure that you are always safe and happy, even if it's at the sacrifice of my own happiness."

"Bella, you don't have to sacrifice your own happiness for mine!" She started to cry again, "Do you not want me? I'm here, in your arms and saying that I would be happy giving up surfing and traveling the world to be with you, and all you can tell me is that you need to sacrifice your happiness for mine? That makes no sense at all!"

"It will in the long run, Ali-baby." She touched her face softly and pulled her even closer to her, kissing her passionately. Alice whimpered over her, and she felt a familiar heat streaking up and down her core. She moaned loudly, making Alice react accordingly. She pressed her hips against Bella's stomach, the girl on bottom groaning. "Oh, you're coming with me right now."

"Anywhere with you." Alice bit down on her lip and suckled on it, "Anytime."

"Right now." Bella put her down and pulled away from her, "To the get-away car."

They all but ran to the Mercedes.

* * *

><p>When they pulled up to Bella's house, all was quiet. Not even a mouse was stirring. Sweet. Bella closed the door behind them and locked it up tight, leading Alice up the stairs to her empty bedroom. They entered almost silently, and Alice kicked off her shoes, sitting on the edge of the bed, only for Bella to pull her off.<p>

"You're soaking wet, no sitting on the bed like that." Her eyes were dark, and Alice's hear was thudding crazily in her chest. "No wet clothes on the bed."

Her hands went to her sides, pulling on the strings that kept her bikini up. She kept their eyes locked as she pulled, and when the end of it was at the knot, she leaned forward, kissing her mouth hotly, moaning aloud when the knots released, the bottoms falling to the ground with a soft noise.

"Now you can get on the bed." Bella smiled, shoving the girl backwards onto the bed, following her. "Is your top wet, too?"

"A-A little." The pixie blushed as the brunette nuzzled into her neck, "Maybe I should take it off, too...just in case?"

Bella pulled the blankets down and pulled Alice to a snuggling under it. She sighed, and gently leaned over her, kissing her lips softly. Once she heard mews and whimpers come from the girl underneath her, she let her fingers grab onto the tie around the girl's neck, pulling it apart swiftly.

She pushed her right hand underneath the smooth, flawless back and found the knot there, too. When it came apart, she made no move to remove it.

She pulled the covers over their heads and whispered to her as softly as possible, "Are you sure you want this with me? It wouldn't hurt my feelings too bad if you didn't."

"As if I could ever say no to you." She reached for Bella's bottom ties, pulling them undone quickly and pulling the fabric away, pushing it away from them. The brunette pressed a bare thigh to the apex of the pixie's legs and moaned loudly, cursing.

"_Fuck..._" Alice thrust her hips against the cool thigh and reached up to her loose bikini top, snatching it off and flinging it away from them. "Ali, you've had sex before, right?"

"R-Regrettably." She bit her lip to keep quiet. "But yes, I have."

"Who with? Can you remember?" The pixie shook her head, mind too hazy, "You don't want to tell me, or you can't remember?"

"Never knew names. Just genders." She whimpered, "I think the weirdest person I ever had sex with was a hermaphrodite. A fully functioning hermaphrodite."

"That's kinda hot." The brunette groaned loudly, grinding her thigh harder against Alice, who squeaked and yelped, hands clutching at the girl above her. "Did you like it?"

"I-I loved it!" She clenched her teeth together, "Fuck, Bella!"

"Well...I'm kinda lacking in what they had..." The main-lander snickered, "However...I do have something going for me."

"W-What would that be?" Alice asked while panting. She moved her hips a little more urgently against the thigh pressed into her. "Because if it's going for you, I'd like to see it nowww."

"Give me a minute." Bella kissed her once again, her tongue smoothing over that cherry petal pink bottom lip of the girl underneath her. She moved her right hand up to the girl's ribs, rubbing and caressing tenderly as she pressed her tongue into her mouth at the moment that Alice's mouth opened.

She stroked the other tongue firmly, groaning loudly as they battled each other. Alice panted, her teeth grazing her tongue slightly as she bit down gently after withdrawing her own tongue. She suckled on the muscle and pushed it back into her lover's mouth.

The hand that was drawing circles on sensitive ribs reached up and cupped a well-sized breast, thumb flicking the nipple on it. The pixie arched into her and ripped her mouth away from Bella's crying out.

"You're sensitive." Bella stated, leaning down to swirl her tongue on the white collarbone of the tiny surfer. "I wonder how sensitive."

"Don't tease me, Bellaa.." The smaller girl moaned, her head burying in the pillow underneath her head, "Just _fuck me already!_"

"No." Lusty amber eyes snapped to stubborn yet equally lusty brown ones. "I refuse to simply _fuck you_. I want to _make love to you._ And I will. Over and over again, whether you die of frustration or not. I doubt that, though. Very much."

"Well, when you put it that way..." The pixie grinned. "Get back to work."

"Right away." She bent her head down and swirled her tongue on the hardened pink nipple her hand had been touching. Alice shouted, her hands going to tangle in lengthy mahogany hair, clutching tightly.

"Oh...t-that feels amazing!" Alice's free hand went down her body to between her own legs, touching herself. "F-Fuck..."

"Hey, do I need to cuff you? Because I will if you don't move that hand." Her words were ignored as Alice continued to pleasure herself. "I will fucking stop if you don't move that fucking hand!"

"Ugh! You're taking too long!" Alice whimpered and growled, thrusting her hips against Bella, who growled back. "Do something about it!"

"Fine." She rolled off of Alice and reached into her drawer, pulling something underneath the sheets. "You asked for it."

"What?" Alice was confused until Bella had both of her wrists skillfully tied and stuck behind her head, and not tied to the headboard. "B-Bella!"

"I was serious. You were being bad. Now, I have to do things like this." She shook her head with a grin, "Hope you liked seeing me at least a little naked. Won't be seeing it again for the rest of the night."

"Don't you dare!" She shrilled, bucking her hips to knock her off as Bella was putting a scarf around her head, covering her eyes. "BELLA!"

"Hey, that's my name!" She laughed, "Be sure to remember it. I'd hate to go through all this just for you to scream 'Steve' or 'Brenda'. Just...feel."

"That's all I _can _do." She snorted. She cried out again when Bella suckled her breast again, grinding her body into Alice's lower half. "W-Would you l-laugh if I cried?"

"Nope." Bella whispered, "I would worship you more thoroughly then."

She whimpered, and when she felt a gentle stroking on the sides of her stomach, she bit her lip. Bella's mouth moved to the other breast, sucking and licking and biting in no rush whatsoever.

The brunette decided to move on when she could feel fluid on her stomach, sure it certainly wasn't hers. She thought back to when she'd walked in on her pleasuring herself, and groaned with an open mouth, making Alice squirm. She had fountain capabilities. She wanted to tap into that tonight.

Her hands danced across smooth plains and flawless skin, caressing gently. Every movement of her hands was very noticed by Alice, who was hyper aware of touch because of her blindfold.

Bella moved her hands to the outside of Alice's thighs, petting softly and stroking a little firmly before coming back and repeating the process. Her little mews of pleasure drove her to stroke harder, massage the skin and muscle.

She moved down to her calves, massaging the meat of her and moving even lower, to her feet. She rubbed them lovingly, going as far as to sit up and actually give her a massage. She moaned loudly at that, relaxing further than before. She leaned down to place kisses on the soles of her feet, up to her little toes, kissing each one gently before moving to the other foot. What you did to one side, you had to do to the other.

She parted her legs slightly and kissed her way up, mumbling sweet words against the skin. God, she adored this woman. She nuzzled against her soft, smooth skin and once in a while would let her tongue flick out a little, laying a small lick on a particularly sensitive spot.

Once she reached the apex of the girl's thighs, she sent a puff of hot breath against it, hearing her moan in pleasure. She brought the girl's heels together underneath her, glad she was a flexible surfer, and trapped her toes with the fingers of one of her hands, the other going to the back of the thigh on that side, massaging.

She lowered her head and pressed a soft kiss on the outside of her, whispering sweet words of love. She pressed down a little more firmly, and her tongue pressed out, licking the length of her.

"Bella..." She gasped breathlessly, "Oh, Bella..."

"Alice..." She muttered against the soft folds, nuzzling deeper, tongue lavishing against her now. With each flick her tongue would do near her little bundle of nerves, Alice's hips would buck up and she would cry out.

Her tongue swirled around at her entrance a few times, eliciting a loud scream of pleasure, and she was certain if her father was home or even within a mile of the house, he would have heard her. She continued to pet her with her tongue until she grew a little tired and crawled up her body, earning her a grunt of frustration as she sat up, wiping her mouth on the blanket over them.

She sighed when was faced with her glowing face, pink dusting both cheeks, and even a little of her forehead. She leaned down and pressed her lips softly to the swollen ones of her love, not opening her mouth or nudging too hard. She didn't know if she liked the taste of herself intermingling in kisses.

With one hand, she reached up and took off the blindfold, golden eyes blinking in confusion. When the brunette pressed another hesitant kiss to her lips, Alice responded in kind, thrusting her tongue into other girl's surprised mouth.

She moaned aloud at her own taste, but wasn't complaining about it at all.

"Ready?" Alice nodded furiously, she was fucking ready, all right.

Bella moved her right hand to the place she'd just been in, prodding gently. Molten chocolates never looked away from swirling caramels, and she pushed two fingers into the waiting heat. Alice's eyes widened and she cried out loudly, her head sinking further into the pillow underneath her.

"F-Fuck!" She couldn't help but scream as Bella's fingers thrust in and out of her in an increasing rhythm. "B-Bella, wait!"

"What is it, Alice?" the brunette asked as she continued to pump into the girl underneath her. "Do you want me to slow down?"

"I-I want to make you feel good, too.." The pixie clenched her jaw, eyes hazing over, but never leaving Bella's eyes.

"You being here with me is making up for it, believe me." She panted, feeling her own fluid streaming down her thighs. "Don't worry about me."

"More...give me more." She cried out again as the taller girl did as she asked, inserting a third finger, "Faster, please faster...!"

The main-lander lifted Alice's thigh to wrap around her hip, giving her better access. She was a little surprised at how much farther her fingers fit that way.

"It isn't enough, is it, baby?" Bella could feel sweat collect on her forehead as she tried to pleasure the girl underneath her. "Just say the word, and I'll get something to help."

"H-Help, help!" She wanted her hands free, but she knew that would just get her into more trouble. "Bella, help! I want to cum, I want to really bad!"

Without stopping, which was a feat for Bella, she yanked open the drawer again and pulled out a toy. A rather large one.

"You'll like this, baby, I promise." Bella leaned down and kissed her roughly, "You trust me?"

"With my life." The pixie tried her best to not look at what was going inside her. She didn't need to know. When she felt it at her entrance, she grew excited. "Give it to me. All of it."

Without a word, Bella pushed the item into her, stretching her widely.

"Oh FUCK BABY!" She couldn't help but curl up to look at what it was, "It feels so good! Oh, fuck me, Bella, fuck me now!"

She pulled the toy out and pushed it back in, watching as Alice's eyes almost rolled to the back of her head, "Jesus!"

Her thighs quivered as she lifted her head up to meet the toy's thrusting, "I-I...Bella, I..."

"What, Ali?" The brunette came down and scooped the pixie off the bed and onto her lap, still thrusting the toy deeply into her, "What?"

Alice arched her back beautifully and screamed.

"S-So close! I-I'm cumming! Fuck, I'm cumming Bella!" She clenched her teeth, and at the last second, her jaw opened by sheer force of her spasms, her head tipping back and exposing the column of her perfect neck. "I LOVE YOU!"

Tears streamed down the pixie's cheeks as she saw white and cried out more, her orgasm practically ripping her away from the world. She could feel gentle hands laying her down on the bed and curling around her as the love of her life curled against her back. Bella untied her hands and threw the scarf to the floor to be forgotten.

"B-Bella?" The pixie turned her head to look at the brunette, to see her crying as hard as she was, cheeks red. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" She chuckled, "You haven't done anything wrong."

"My hands are free?" She rubbed her wrists and sighed, snuggling back into the still clothed chest behind her. "You're only half naked. Where's the fairness in that?"

"Well, life isn't very fair." She snuggled, "Now go to bed."

"What about you?" Bella shook her head gently, kissing her shoulder.

"I can go another day without."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday – Surf Competition Day 5<strong>

"Alice, stop it already." Bella giggled, poking the tiny surfer's side, "We have to get up."

"But it's early..." She whined, stuffing a pillow over her head and smiling.

"I know it is. We _usually _get up at this time. Come on, now." the brunette crawled over her and yanked the blanket off, revealing her still naked form. She felt herself drool a little before shaking her head. _'No time for naughty thoughts! We're already late!'_

"I'm not surfing." Alice threw the pillow, sitting up and staring right into sad, dark brown eyes. "The only reason we're going is so I can cheer my sister and brothers on."

"That's good enough for me." Bella threw her a yellow bathing suit, kissing the orange bandage on the corner of the pixie's forehead. "Now get dressed."

"Aye, aye, captain."

* * *

><p><strong>"Morning, Olympians!" <strong>Bella smacked her forehead. Another DJ? What happened to that awesome one from Day 1? Is he dead? **"It's going to be a beautiful day, I can feel it, and what with having The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen back on the beach with us, it's going to prove to be one of the best ones yet!"**

Alice frowned, and crossed her arms over her chest. She bit the inside corner of her mouth and refused to make eye contact with anyone. She didn't want them making her feel guilty for her decision. She wasn't going to surf. She wasn't.

"Hey, Surfer-Ali!" Rosalie greeted with a huge smile, "So glad you ladies could join us this wonderful morning."

"Are you high?" the pixie raised a brow. Rosalie hated mornings.

"High on life, baby." She tossed her arms up and laughed aloud, alarming her whole family.

"Do you have a crash kit ready?" She asked Emmett, who had sidled up next to his wife and greeted the two girls. "Because she's going to crash. Hard."

"No worries on that front. Daddy's here." He pointed behind him where Esme and Carlisle were sitting on beach chairs, talking to Leah. "Leah's here, too."

"I can see that." Alice had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that didn't seem eager to go away right about now. "Why, though?"

"Well, a majority of her group actually forfeit. They felt really bad about what Jacob had done, and didn't have the heart to face you." The bear crossed his arms over his massive chest. "Which is stupid, because where is the challenge now?"

"You could always surf...against Ali." Bella offered, which made Alice's jaw drop. "I mean, why not? I think it would be fun for you guys."

"Bella, come on." The pixie frowned at her, golden eyes hurt. "Are you really still trying this?"

"I'm not giving up." She whispered, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her face to the tiny surfer. "You shouldn't either."

"I'm _not _giving up, either!" Alice snapped, "If you weren't so keen on getting rid of me, you would have been thrilled with my decision!"

"Maybe that's enough a reason for you to surf today. And for the rest of the competition." Bella turned away from her then, "Because you're right. I am keen to get rid of you."

"You mean that?" She bit her lip, "Are you serious?"

"Never been more serious in my life." Bella turned and walked over to where Leah was sitting, pulling her by the hand. Alice felt a hot rage in her chest and could feel her stomach curl in jealousy.

With Bella, Leah was confused as hell. Why was she dragging her away?

"Bella, is something going on?" She dug her heels into the sand to force the two of them to a stop, "Because I gotta say I didn't like the look Alice gave me just now."

"You have to help me." Bella whispered, sweeping a lock of her mahogany hair behind her ear, "Alice wants to stop surfing."

"WHAT?" the girl was about to spin around and give the tiny surfer a piece of her mind, when Bella gripped her shoulders, "BELLA!"

"Calm down!" She hissed, "Or she'll hear us!"

"What do you need help with?" She asked quietly, her heart thudding, "I'll do anything to keep her on the ocean."

"She wants to stop because of me. She doesn't want to leave me behind. That's why she wants to quit. She thinks doing that will make her happy." Bella began to shake, "And I know that isn't true. You've seen her...the expression on her face as she gets the perfect waves, when she comes back onto the shore, happiest I've ever seen her."

"I've brought our jerseys." She patted the bag on her hip. Bella hadn't even noticed it on her! "Let's bust these puppies out. See her say no to this!"

She unzipped the bag and pulled out the familiar blue and yellow jerseys. Bella was never a huge fan of yellow, so she'd asked for hers in blue. It was fairly plain, like Bella in a way, and in front it had 'ALICE' on the front in five inch tall baby blue letters, with a huge number one underneath it. On the back was 'CULLEN' in the same fashion.

She slipped it over her head and pulled her hair out of it, shaking it out.

"Wow, it still fits!" The main-lander laughed aloud, "Let's go show our shit off."

"Right on." They linked arms and walked over to where everyone's jaws dropped. The jerseys fit them nicely, and came down right over their bikini bottoms. Mix that with sexy hair, and _daaaammnnn._

"Y-You were right. Those shirts are pretty legit." Emmett slapped his hands over his eyes, "Ali, make her stop!"

"I'm not doing anything..." Bella pouted, hands on her hips, tipping her hips to the side a little, stretching her long legs, "Really, I'm not."

"Oh god..." Jasper and Edward turned their backs to Bella and Leah, walking away quickly. "Too hot even for the gay guys!"

"Those are some mighty cute shirts, girls." Esme clapped her hands smiling, "When did you find time to make those?"

"When we were ten." Her smile dropped. "Summer of 2000, baby."

"That's amazing..." She shook her head and her smile came back up, "You've been Alice's fans since then?"

"That's right." Leah grinned, "Even before then. She is my role model. I don't know what I would do if she would stop surfing."

"Bella, you didn't." Alice's amber eyes had darkened at the sight of her love in such a tiny jersey with HER name on it, but now that thought was long gone. "I told you, I'm not changing my mind."

"Can we make a deal?" The pixie sighed, but nodded. "Then, come talk to me."

"Be right back." Alice looked at her father, who smiled sadly at her.

They walked off a few feet, still in view of her family and friends.

"Here's what I am proposing." Bella took Alice's hand in hers and kissed it softly, "Surf the rest of this competition. Just this competition, to the end. If at the end of the competition you find that you really can live without it, that you don't want to do it anymore...then I won't stop you. If you find you can't live without it, I will personally tie you up and throw you in the back of your brother's Jeep. Don't think you can lie to me about it either, I will be watching your every move."

"That sounds...fair." Alice nodded, running her hands through her hair, "When does this start? Today?"

"Yes. Today. I didn't pull this," She picked at the jersey, "on, if you weren't going to surf today. No way. It still smells like the baby detergent Leah's mom used to use when Seth was still a baby."

"Then, I will surf." She leaned against the taller girl and nuzzled into her chest, "For you."

"I knew you would." Bella leaned down, tilting the pixie's head up. She pressed her lips to the other girl's and heard the shorter one whimper. When she pulled away, she grinned, "You'll want to hurry up. You're burning daylight."

* * *

><p><strong>"What a great comeback from The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen! We knew you still had it, Tiny Babe!" <strong>

"Thank God." Leah said as she stood beside the very still Bella. As she said before, she would watch her every move. There was no denying the pure joy on Alice's face as she maneuvered the board like the true born professional she was.

"I knew it." She shook her head and smiled, "She can't live without it."

"What about you?" The brunette turned to her old friend, "Can you live without her?"

"It isn't a matter of whether I can live without her or not." She stretched her arms over her head, "It's a matter of how long I can live without her or not."

"Well, that doesn't sound good at all." Leah chuckled, "But you'll always root for her, won't you? Even if she's forgotten about you?"

"Even after she's forgotten about me." Bella chuckled, "I've got a question, though."

"What is it?" The amazon rubbed her neck. The sun had been out that day, thank god, but it had beaten down on them quite harshly.

"When she's gone...I think I'd like to learn to surf." The two girls looked at each other, one in seriousness, the other in shock. Did she just say she'd like to learn to surf? "Would you teach me?"

"Fuck yes!" Leah threw her arms around Bella and jumped up and down in excitement, "Then, when you're ready to participate in competitions, we'll be a team! You, me and Seth! Hell, I know your friends know how to surf, too!"

"I know Angela and Eric surf...is there anyone else?" She asked slightly doubtful.

"That girl that worked at the deli with you...Jessica? She surfs, too." Head tilt. "You didn't know that?"

"No...I guess there were some things that just didn't come up in conversation." She shrugged, "Doesn't really matter. Your chickens have to hatch before you count them."

"So...why the sudden desire to learn?" She poked her side with a huge, face-splitting grin.

"If she isn't here, I'd like to put effort into something that will always remind me of her. Even if we are oceans away...it's all the same ocean, isn't it?" Bella blinked back tears, "Because I lied. I don't know if I can live without her as I'd said."

"Don't worry, girl." Leah gripped her tightly, "You won't be alone in this."

"I'd hope not." She wiped at her eyes while laughing. "That would suck."

"This whole situation sucks." They both nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>"And that was another great performance by The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen!" <strong>Bella just cradled her face in her hands as she sat in her beach chair. She'd moved away from the Cullens a while back. She couldn't stand the looks of pity and thankfulness they'd been sending her since she'd convinced Alice to surf again.

Leah had gone on to surf too, against Alice, but she proved too skillful to be defeated. She had a good time, though, which was good enough for her. Since Alice had missed two whole days of surfing, maybe more, she had to seriously get back in the game.

Bella had been alone for hours now, trying to keep her heart in her chest. She scoffed at the thought of keeping her heart in there, when she knew it was out on the water with the beautiful Surfer-Ali. She had long taken off the tight jersey, hanging it over the back of her chair.

**"Whoa! Alice Cullen has just added another name to the long list she's accumulated during her decade long career! The Flying Pixie! Great air, girl!"**

"Fuck." Bella whispered to herself. She had surely lost Alice now. She was gone. _'Then...I should start pulling back away from her. Make things easier for myself. She's got surfing to comfort her. I've got nothing but my father, his girlfriend, and Leah. I wish I still had Holmes. He would have been able to make me see the light at the end of this fucking tunnel.'_

She stood up suddenly, grasping her jersey before turning to the entrance of the beach access. Alice wouldn't really notice her absence, would she? She probably would. She'd be furious with her.

_'Good. Maybe then...she'll be too upset to remember that she loves me.' _She snorted to herself with a smile on her face. Right. As if that would happen. She _had _just made the girl orgasm the night before.

She had to pass by The Cullen Five minus One and Carlisle and Esme. She didn't once glance at them. She couldn't. That would be admitting to herself something she wasn't ready to come to terms with.

A soft hand touched her arm, and she looked up in miniscule shock. Jasper.

He seemed to beg to her with his eyes. She shook her head and pulled her arm away roughly. He tried to stop her again, but she wouldn't stop. Edward came up then, taking a hold of her shoulders, Jasper behind her.

She couldn't help it. Tears streamed down her cheeks at her loss. Even though she wasn't dead, it was still a loss hard felt. She struggled against them, Edward and Jasper, and pushed them away from her, briskly walking away from them.

When she looked for her truck, she realized that she'd been driving with Alice for the past week. She wasn't even sure if her truck even had gas! She couldn't remember.

She fished her shoes out of the back seat of Alice's Mercedes and slipped them on, leaving her jersey on the front seat. Maybe she'd wear it to bed? Ha, right. She'd probably throw the damn thing away. If she was her, she would.

She shut the door and walked the long, lonely path home. It was dark, and bordering on creepy, but then she thought, 'This is Forks. Shit like that doesn't happen here.' and kept to her walking. Once in a while, she would pass a house and could see into dining rooms. Families laughing and eating and enjoying each other's company. That's what she needed right now as she walked, shivering, in her shoes and small bikini with a flimsy cardigan to cover her shoulders. Great choices, Bella, great choices.

An hour or so after she'd taken off from the beach, she stood in front of her house. She looked up at the great old house that had kept her safe for the past twenty summers of her life. She'd had fun in that house. She'd had great memories with just her and her father in that house.

Just as she was contemplating walking away, possibly to the park, the front door opened, and Charlie was there. He looked confused, and was about to ask why she'd been standing outside for the past five minutes and not gone in, but he could see that all she needed right then...was a hug.

He stepped down slowly, walking to her and wrapping her in his strong dad arms. He kissed her forehead and sighed. Bella let the tears flow onto his shirt, knowing he wouldn't mind. He would never mind her getting his shirt wet. Dropping jelly onto it? Maybe.

"Come on inside, Bells. You're gonna catch your death standing out here." He half dragged her into the house and right to the sofa. "Stay there."

She nodded numbly and looked at the flatscreen. Baseball. Huh.

Charlie came back then with a soft-looking, thick blanket and a cup. He forced the blanket on her and handed her the surprisingly hot cup. He blushed lightly when she glanced into it.

"Hot chocolate. I thought you might want some when you came home tonight..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm gonna watch the game now."

"Thank you." Bella blew on the warm colored brew and sighed. Her father was very thoughtful when he wanted to be.

A few hours after she'd gotten home, the hot chocolate was long gone, her cup sitting on the coffee table. She was lying long ways on the sofa, fast asleep, and her dad snored loudly on the recliner. That was one of the only ways Bella could sleep now. She had to hear snoring in order to be lulled, and Charlie had fallen asleep way before the girl had.

Before she'd fallen asleep, she'd sent a quick prayer to God. Though she hadn't spoken much to him recently, and hadn't added much to her 'List o' Regrets', she had thought of him increasingly recently. Maybe that was a sign of things to come.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah...depressing, isn't it? The war between wanting the love of your life to have all that she'd ever wanted in life before she settled down...and the desire to keep her all to yourself, to keep her safe and in your arms every night... and then there was Alice's desire to stay with Bella, give up all that she'd ever known, to be with her and be happy... tough times are coming for our favorite couple, and I hope you'll all stand here and be with them. <strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Namaste!**

**As I said before...sad days are ahead. I know that there isn't anything holding Bella back from being with Alice...but just think of how long they've been together. How long they've known each other. Less than a month. I don't know a single person who would leave behind everyone and everything they know to be with someone on a whim. They have to really be confident that they could be the happiest they could be with that person. That is what is holding Bella back.**

**hope you enjoy this update!**

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Saturday Morning – Resting Day 1<strong>

"I wonder if Bella got home last night..." Alice bit her lip as she sat uncomfortably on the sofa of their rented home's living room. "She hasn't answered my calls at all."

"Maybe because she left her phone in your car?" Rosalie scoffed, tossing the cell onto the sofa she was perched on, "You're worrying too much. What do you plan to do with your free Saturday? Laze around and worry about her?"

"Sounds like an excellent way to spend my day." She snapped, "Because if you guys would have had the sense to stop her last night, she wouldn't have wandered off!"

"She didn't wander off." Jasper rubbed his forehead, "She looked pretty sure of where she was going. We did try to stop her, but she was adamant about going."

"And you didn't think to escort her?" Jasper's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that. Hell, neither did Edward. "Didn't think so."

"I'm sorry." The blond frowned, looking down at the dark wood floor. "That was unacceptable. I should have insisted that I take her to where she was going..instead of letting her walk the whole way."

"She walked? Didn't she have the keys to the Mercedes?" The tiny surfer palmed her forehead hard. "The idiot."

"She'd handed them to mom to keep from losing them." Emmett came into the room, having heard their conversation from the hallway. "She seemed really upset last night."

"Well, I would be too." Edward whispered, "If I had so much to think about."

"What could have been on her mind that would make her just want to-" Rosalie bit her tongue, blue eyes sad, "...I see."

"I told her to wait for me. I said that I wouldn't be long." Alice clenched her fists tightly, "I told her to wait."

"Nothing we can do about it now." Emmett shrugged, "So, the question is..."

Alice's head snapped up to her eldest brother. What was he going on about?

"What are you going to do _today_?" He crossed his arms, "Are you going to worry about yesterday, or make today better than yesterday?"

"You've got a point." Alice smiled, jumping to hug her brother, "You're the smartest of us all, Emmy!"

"Of course I am!" He pounded his chest hard when he let his sister go. "Now go get your girl!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Charlie, I was wondering if Bella was home?" Alice peeked around his shoulder into the house, looking for the familiar brunette. "I-I heard that she'd walked home last night?"<p>

"That's right. She walked home. Over an hour from the beach in the dark in little to no clothing." The man ran a hand through his hair, "She could barely stop crying last night. I don't know what happened or what's going on, but I'm worried. My little girl doesn't cry without reason."

"I-I..." Alice's golden eyes widened, realization coming to her like a body slam. "She saw me."

"I'm sorry?" Charlie raised a brow.

"W-We'd made a deal yesterday, see...and I didn't want to surf anymore. I was giving it up, so I wouldn't leave her behind. I couldn't possibly leave her behind, Charlie. But she...she said she doesn't want me to give it up. She wants me to continue to travel the world with my family, and surf. I am willing to give it up. I'd give it all up, if she'd only let me." Alice's hands moved to her face, covering it. "She said she wasn't willing of me to stop surfing because she didn't want me to stick around."

"That is the biggest lie I think my daughter has ever said." He chuckled, "But what she says is true. You can't just give everything up on a whim. Every decision you make has a consequence. Every single one. She wants you to live the life you've earned. Can you understand that? She doesn't want to hold you back from what you want in life. Even if that means letting you go."

"So...she wants me to do what I want to do for as long as I can do it?" She asked with her brow furrowed, "This is deep stuff. I'm not used to this."

"I didn't think you were. But, you've got the idea." He nodded, "Now, if you want my opinion...I think you should go. My daughter has her heart set on you going. What you can do, though, is once in a while...I don't know...every year or so? Come see her. She'd love that, I'm sure. If I know my daughter as well as I think I do, she'll be here for you. Even if she was to leave, she'd drop whatever she was doing and come right back."

"Thank you, Charlie." The pixie hugged the man and sighed, "You're a great dad."

"I know it, I know it!" He laughed, "Now, I'm supposed to say that she isn't taking visitors today..."

"Don't worry, I won't give you any trouble. If she doesn't want to see anyone today, that's her decision. I've got some practicing to do today. I've already been a slight let down to my family. Gotta make up for it." She turned around and waved, sprinting down to her car.

* * *

><p>Alice sighed as she sat on the cool sand, arms around her knees. She looked out into the water, amazed at such a beautiful sunset. It was a brilliant orange, with a hint of pink. Simply beautiful. The wind played around her, pulling gently on her shirt and running through her hair.<p>

This is where Bella would always be. This was Bella's beach. The one place she would always be able to find her. Would she move on when she left? Would she...find someone else?

An image came to her mind as she thought of a possible future that Bella would have. She would probably still live in the house she lived in now, taking care of her father. Would she finally become a boring accountant like she said she would? She once said they made good money...

Maybe she'll remake the house...get a nicer car.

A woman would be with her, surely. Bella...wasn't the type to settle to appease anyone. She wouldn't go for second best. That just wasn't Bella.

Alice tried to imagine what the woman Bella would be with would look like. As if in a casino slot machine, the hair colors changed. Dark red, red, light red..no. Dark brown? No...not a shade of brown either. Blond? No, she can't stand blonds. Black? She seemed to like Alice's hair color. She's stick with that color.

So, a black haired woman. Body type? Oh, dear. She wouldn't go for an obsessively curvy woman. Too much to grab onto. Maybe a nice, thin girl. Bella wasn't the judgmental type, but just because she wouldn't judge them, didn't mean she'd be with them.

Alice scoffed loudly to herself. Of course Bella wasn't judgmental. She wouldn't be as picky as Alice made her out to be. Never. However, the settings she'd made had been a sort of themed preference. Looking back on her history, Bella dated Louis, who had black hair and dark eyes. Thin. Tall.

Then there was Alice herself. Black hair, gold eyes. Short.

Huh. Maybe the black hair was all that had been going on.

The pixie groaned, falling back in the sand. This was going to be really hard to do. Surfing was all she knew. All she was good at, really. She didn't want to grow up too soon, as she'd told Bella before... But now that she knew what was waiting for her, she couldn't wait to grow up. She wanted to stay with Bella. She wanted to hold her in her arms every night and kiss her every chance she had.

She had said that there was time to make great memories...and she already wasted a week. She seriously needed to get on the ball with that.

When she was getting ready to sit up, a figure plopped down next to her on the sand, leaning back and lying down next to her.

"Leah?" Alice looked at the amazonian woman and smiled kindly. "Nice to see you."

"Hey, Alice." Leah looked slightly uncomfortable, but anyone would be after just coming up to someone and lying next to them without permission, "I wanted to talk to you about something, and happened to see you chilling here."

"Well, I'm open for conversation." Golden eyes softened, "What is it?"

"It's about Bella." The taller woman bit her lip, "I wanted to come to an agreement with you. About her."

"What are the terms?" Alice leaned on her elbow and turned to look at the other girl, who began to fidget. "I won't get upset."

"Well, I wanted..." She sighed, looking up at the sky, "I wanted to ask how serious you are about Bella."

"I'm...in love with her. So I think that's considered quite serious." Alice raised a brow, "Are you asking as her friend or my enemy?"

"Oh, as a friend to you. Don't worry, I-I don't like girls in the least bit." She blushed darkly, "She's been my best friend since we were young. I just don't want her to be hurting for the rest of her life is all."

"What do you suggest?" Leah produced a paper from her pocket and stuck it into Alice's little hand. "What is this?"

"It's the number to my house phone. I don't have a cell phone, but...I want you to call me, if you ever decide...that you aren't coming back for her. I'm a big fan of you, yes, but she's my real life friend. That tops fan any day." She sat up, looking right at the pixie, "I expect you to call if you aren't going to come back. That way, I can urge her...to forget about you. It doesn't have to be the day you leave...or even the next year over...but I do expect a call when you're damn sure you aren't coming back."

"I will...call if I...don't come back." Alice nodded, her lower lip trembling, "You care...a lot about her, don't you?"

"Of course I do." She sighed, "It only hurt me a lot that she didn't call or visit me when she moved back into town. When she came up to me that day and asked where Seth was, it was like she'd forgotten we were friends."

"I'm positive she didn't mean to hurt you, Leah." Alice hugged the dark skinned girl and sighed, "Nobody ever means to hurt someone they love."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Sunday - Resting Day 2<strong>

"Oh, sweetheart, can you go open the door? Someone is knocking." Charlie grinned into his toast, waiting. He had a special surprise lined up for his daughter this very morning. It had taken the surprise a little longer to get here than expected, but when he'd received a call that it had arrived, he had gotten excited.

Bella shook her head and pulled it open, nearly falling backwards as she was tackled to the floor by a familiar figure.

"BELLA!" A woman screamed, laying kisses all over her face, "BELLAAA!"

"M-MOM!" Bella's arms wrapped around the woman on her and she laughed, "Mommy!"

"How are you, baby girl? Oh, I missed you so much! And Watson wasn't better off!" She gestured to the pet taxi on the floor outside of the door. The gray cat was almost glaring at her.

"I've been great, mom! I didn't know you were coming to visit!" She stood up, helping her eccentric mother to her feet. She swept her hands over her dusty clothing and smiled sweetly to her mother. "How was the flight? I'm sorry I didn't go pick you up, I didn't know."

"No, no. Charlie's charming girlfriend Leslie picked me up. Oh, where did she go?" She turned around in confusion, "Leslie?"

"Right here, Renee." The woman stepped in with a huge smile, "Good morning, Bella."

"M-Morning." She laughed, "You adults are so sneaky!"

"Had to be or you'd have found out." Renee bent down to collect Watson's pet taxi. "Is there a place we can stay, too?"

"My bedroom, of course!" Bella walked out onto the porch and found a suit case. She picked it up and laughed softly. It was so light. Her mother probably forgot to pack the night before the flight and had to rush the next morning. "You remember which is my room, right?"

"Of course I do. I painted it myself!" She traipsed up the stairs and practically kicked her bedroom door open, rushing in. "Nice decorating skills, Bella!"

"Thanks!" She yelled up the stairs, taking them one at a time. Her mother was visiting. Oh god. She couldn't help but be happy about it. She had missed her mother so much, and Watson... When she entered her bedroom, her mother was examining the large poster of Alice hanging over her bed.

"Interesting choice in...wall art." She pointed at it, "Who is it?"

"Alice Cullen of the Cullen Five." She laughed, "She's a surfer."

"Apparently, by the bikini, water and surfboard." She chuckled, "So...why that one?"

"She's hot stuff, I don't need a better reason than that." Bella rubbed the back of her neck. "If you see her around the house, don't freak out."

"She's here?" Renee's eyes widened, "A famous surfer is here?"

"Yeah, the Surfing Competition: Olympia...I told you about it. Over the phone?" She sat down on her bed, "I've gone to most of the Days, and watched some of the greatest surfers do their stuff on the water."

"I always wished you would inherit my free spirit and take up something like that. Instead of..." She scoffed, "Accounting." She said it as if it were a curse. In a sort, it was. Nobody liked accounting. Nobody.

"How would I buy you a mansion off the wages of a surfer or artist?" Bella rolled her eyes, "That's nearly impossible."

"Not true." She shook her curly light brown hair, "You're friend Alice here," She pointed at the poster again, "Does it. My sister, your aunt Imelda, does it. She's a painter. They find ways to make money, Bella."

"I suppose it's true..." She sighed, "Any idea of what you want to do today? I'm all for anything at this point. I stayed in all day yesterday."

"We're going shopping my dear." She grinned widely, "I know you hate it, but mommy needs a swim suit. I want to go see your surfer friends do their thing."

"Alright. We can go...which store do you want to go to?" Bella looked down at her fingers, flexing them slightly. "We can try in town, or we can head up to Seattle."

"Oooh, a trip to Seattle sounds great!" she jumped off the bed, closing the windows, "I'll let Watson free in here while we're gone. Oh, come on, sweetheart!"

She pulled Bella up off the bed and freed the cat, grabbing her purse and almost flying down the stairs. Bella shut her bedroom door and just laughed. She walked down and could see her mother talking to her dad.

"Charlie, do you think you can take me to the closest rental car place? I'm gonna need a set of wheels." He chuckled and nodded, "Thank you!"

"You're sitting in the back, though. Bells gets shotgun in the cop-mobile." He ruffled his daughter's hair as he walked by, grabbing his keys, "Are you coming along, Leslie?"

"I'll just wait here for you to get back." She sipped at a mug of coffee and sighed, "So tired."

"Alright, I'll be right back." Charlie motioned for Bella and Renee to get out, and they did, climbing into the cruiser.

* * *

><p>"Are you positive that this is the fastest car you have?" Renee looked doubtful of the black car that sat in front of them in silence. "Bella, is this the fastest car in the lot?"<p>

Bella glanced at it and bit her lip. She looked at another car and shook her head, pointing at the other slick, black car that sat a few rows away, "That's the fastest one."

"We're taking that one over there. Thanks for thinking one of us wouldn't know." She turned her nose up at the man and scoffed, "to think I want to be one of them!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, Bells, don't let mama down!" Renee pushed the keys into the ignition, the car purring to life. "Ooh, not bad. Sounds great."<p>

"Told you. The acceleration should be great, too." She bucked her seat belt and watched her mother do it, too. "It _is _a Lexus."

"Remind me to buy you a new vehicle before I go back to Arizona. That truck you're stomping around in is...I know you like it, I can tell by the look you're giving me, but seriously, darling you should be speeding by and being a woman. Women should drive beautiful, fast cars. I don't care what you say, you're getting a new car before I leave." Renee chuckled, "You look as if I told you that you have to attend a stranger's funeral!"

"I sorta feel that way." Bella slumped in the chair, "You sound like you already have something in mind."

"I do." She smiling blindingly, "But for now, Seattle, here we come!"

She pressed down on the gas, and the car shot forward.

* * *

><p>"LAND!" Bella jumped out of the car dramatically, laughing the whole way as she rolled around on the floor, her mother laughing just as hard as she turned the car off.<p>

"You're hilarious, baby girl." Renee climbed out of the sleek car and grinned, "You know that if you had a car like this one, you'd drive just like me. I'm sad that I didn't do the cross country trip on my own car. I think I would have gotten here in record time!"

"Oh, that I know." Bella stood up, brushing herself down. "Let's go, yeah?"

"Most definitely!" She looked at what Bella was wearing and sighed, "Who has been buying clothes for you? Or did you go buy that yourself?"

"This is clothes I brought with me from Phoenix." She looked down at her shirt and pouted, "I like this shirt, mommy."

"I know, but why did you bring all of the clothes that I _didn't _buy for you? I spent a lot of money on clothes that's wasting away in your drawers, missy." She crossed her arms over her chest, "And for that, I am buying you more."

"Really?" She cracked a smile, "Can you buy me more...shorts? I have been spending a lot of time at the beach this summer."

"Baby, I'll buy you anything you want." She slung an arm around her daughter's shoulders, "Thank god you got my long legs and height. I'd hate for you to be too tall. It's harder to shop for girls who are too tall."

* * *

><p>"So...who is it?" Renee asked as she sipped her Starbucks frozen drink. Bella looked at her mother in confusion.<p>

"Who is..what?" She looked down at the book she'd picked up from the book store and sighed. She flipped the pages, and her mother chuckled.

"That. That right there." The brunette looked around and at their table, still confused.

"What?" Bella blinked.

"You've sighed like...a million times since I've got here, darling. That's a tell-tale sign of LOVE. Now, fork the information over, or i'll take that book hostage." Her fingers reached for the novel in Bella's hands, and she pulled it back, laughing. "Come on, who is it?"

"Honestly? Someone I can't...live without." She blushed, "But, I have to learn how to."

"Oh? Why is that?" Renee sipped more of her coffee, grimacing when she got caramel in her mouth, "Ugh. Why did they put that in it when I asked them to hold?"

"Because they're stupid teenagers on a summer job." Bella chuckled, "But..the person we were talking about? It's Alice."

"A girl?" Renee's eyes snapped wide. Her baby was in love with someone else' baby? Uh-oh. "Why a girl?"

"Aren't you going to ask me why I have to learn to live without her, before the whole, why a girl?" The brunette giggled, "You get right to the point, though."

"Well, yes. My middle-aged daughter needs to explain to mama." She made a sweeping motion with her hand between them. "Start talking."

"When I first got here, I was flirted with by a girl named Louis. Louis, though, was a tad psychotic and annoying. I met Alice while with her, and found myself falling in love with Alice. I didn't break up with Louis right away, though, because I didn't want to break off something for what I thought was a good thing, only for that good thing to leave in the end. Alice is a surfer, as you know, and the only reason she's here in town is because she's participating in that surfing competition. She's leaving in exactly one week." Bella shrugged, "So, that's why 'a girl'. I think I've answered both questions to the best of my ability."

"Hmm..." Renee, seemingly satisfied, sat back in her chair. "Good work."

* * *

><p>"Wow, mom. I didn't think we'd bought this much stuff while we were there." Bella looked into the packed trunk and stuffed back seat. "Where will this all fit?"<p>

"Willpower, baby, willpower." Renee chortled, and started throwing bags onto the porch, "Charlie!"

The man opened the door, only to get a bag in the face. He just laughed and put it down on the porch. "What is all of this?"

"Bella stuff!" She yelled, throwing more bags to him for him to catch. "Maybe a little Renee Stuff, too."

"Ah. Good to know." He started tossing the bags into the house, and during their little conveyor like system, a familiar yellow Mercedes drove up and parked. "Ah, she's here."

"Who is here?" Renee asked as she continued tossing bags. "If they _are _here, they're helping us!"

"Bella, what's going on?" Alice and Rosalie came up to look on in amusement as Renee continued throwing bags at Charlie.

"Bella's moving back to Phoenix with me." Renee turned to look at Alice, a look in her eyes. "She was sick of being here, so she decided to go back to Arizona." She watched in amusement as the girls' jaws dropped. Bella only looked blank. She had warned her before that she was going to say something like that to see if Alice would freak out.

Charlie, too, had been let in on it. He didn't agree with Renee's methods, but he couldn't stop her from doing it, so he just went along with it.

"Bella, you're leaving?" Confused, hurt and tearful golden eyes locked on blank chocolates. "Why would you leave? I-I mean, I'm still here! I wanted you to keep going to the surfing days to be with us."

"Oh god, I can't help it." Bella looked at her mother, who just grinned.

"Weakling." Renee whispered, "Chicken."

"Call me what you will, I don't care." Bella threw her arms around the tiny surfer and cooed to her. "Don't cry, please, my mother was only messing with you. She has a twisted sense of humor."

"Oh, please! You were two seconds from laughing too, you little traitor." Renee got back to work throwing bags, "Since these lovely ladies are here, they can help me unload this car. Just got back from shopping!"

"Shopping? Bella went shopping?" Rosalie choked, "I-I am so sorry."

"Of course she went shopping! She went with mama. Baby had no choice." She turned and winked at Bella, who blushed. "Besides, she likes shopping when she gets to pick out her own things. She _does _have a sense of fashion...it's just buried underneath all the...never mind. I don't know if she actually has a sense of fashion. Maybe it comes in waves?"

"Even then I doubt it." Rosalie grinned, "Allow me to help you."

She reached into the trunk and pulled out two armfuls of bags, walking them up the stairs. Alice followed suit and soon enough, all of the bags were sitting on the floor of Bella's room, Watson on the top shelf of her nearly empty Ikea closet.

"Good thing we went shopping, Bella." Renee sighed, "You would have ended up naked by the end of the month, the way you go through clothes."

"That's not the only time she ends up naked." Rosalie snickered, and Renee guffawed, shocking both Cullen girls.

"You didn't!" She ruffled her daughter's hair, "You dog!"

"You...know about her having sex? And you don't care?" Alice was in slight shock.

"Of course I care! I bought her birth control when she was going to wild parties! I had her constantly vaccinated against diseases! I don't need to be made a grandma at thirty eight." She chuckled, "However, I liked to trade stories with her when she'd come home from those parties. Some of the most interesting things I'd ever heard, I swear!"

"My mom is my best friend. There isn't a thing I've ever done that she doesn't know about." Bella sighed, throwing herself on her bed, "Now, mommy, I'm tired."

"Then me and the pretty girls here can put your clothes away. I'm sure they want to see all the things you picked out..." Renee trailed, and Bella sat up quickly, holding her hands out to stop them.

"WAIT!" She looked at all the bags and picked up the ones she'd wrung the handles of as she carried them from store to store. She threw them to the bottom of her closet and shut it. "Don't look in those bags!"

"O-kay." Rosalie grinned, "I think we should wait until Bella is distracted to look at them."

"I wouldn't suggest it." Renee coughed, "Grown up things in there. Not even _I _would look."

"Err...never mind, then." The blond flicked her hair back, "You have to be one of the coolest moms I've ever met."

"Of course I am!" She crossed her arms, "So what about your parents? What is there to know about them?"

"Well, our dad is a doctor slash surgeon, and our mom is a house designer." Alice offered, "I don't think there's much anything to mention...my dad is a normal guy, likes sports and hangs out with my brothers any chance he gets. My mom hangs out with us, but tonight some trouble broke out and she had to fix it."

"Wait, your last name is Cullen..." Renee grinned, "Is your father Carlisle?"

"You know our dad?" Alice's jaw dropped. "How?"

"It's hard to not know such a brilliant man. His thoughts on human DNA and other things like that were phenomenal. I attended quite a few of his seminars. It was beneficial to my work." She nodded to herself. "Who is the youngest of your family? I don't remember there being an older daughter."

"Oh, I'm married into the family. The only blood daughter is Alice here." Rosalie motioned to Alice, who blushed. She dropped her head, and stood still.

"Then..." Renee turned her green eyes to Alice's head and titled her head up with her fingers looking right into her golden eyes, studying her. "I knew you before you were born."

"Mom?" Bella laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. I saw you first, before your mother ever did. We heard your little heartbeat together. Your father, your mother and I." She sighed, brushing Alice's bangs back, "It was an...unappreciated science back then. Not many people would turn to me for help. But your father and mother were adamant about having a little princess of their own. They'd met my little Bella once before, and fell in love with her. They wanted one of their own to chase their rowdy boys around."

Alice started to cry then. Her parents had never said much about how she'd come into the world, other than she was their miracle baby, and that they loved her since day 1. Bella smiled, and looked at Rosalie, who too, began to cry.

"I'd love to see your parents, are they busy tonight?" Alice shook her head, and Renee clapped, "Yay! More adults to talk doctorly things with! Dinner is on me tonight!"

When Renee ran out of the bedroom, Rosalie followed her after glancing at Alice.

"Bella, can I talk to you?" She turned her caramels up to milk chocolates.

"Of course you can. Is there something on your mind?" Bella bit her lip. She knew what this was about already. There was no way of not knowing. Only an idiot wouldn't know, and she was _not _an idiot.

"Why did you leave?" She moved the few feet to where Bella stood and took her hand, "Why did you leave without telling me? Could you not have waited for me?"

"I-I..." Bella swiped at her bangs. Damn things. "I knew then...and there, that the deal was done. You can't live without it, and I won't let you live without it. But...I've thought about something, and...I hope you don't think it's selfish of me to ask...but would you be with me for the next week?"

"Of course I will, Bella. You can't keep me away from you." The pixie leaned up and kissed her softly. "I missed you."

"I missed you more." She grabbed the surfer into a tight hug and groaned. "God, I think I missed you more than I let on."

"Then I won't leave your side for the next week." Alice giggled, "At least not unless I need to."

"That works for me."

* * *

><p><strong>Emmett<strong>

"So why are we meeting Alice, Rosie and Bella at an expensive restaurant? Why can't we eat here?" The big bear brother whined as he buttoned up his dress shirt. "We have surfing in the morning..."

"Rosalie said there was someone who wanted to see us." Esme fixed his collar and turned to fix her dress, "I hope it isn't someone like the senator. Knowing your sisters, though, they must be important."

"I'll say." Carlisle smiled, "It's been a while since we'd had to meet anyone. I wonder who it could be?"

"Whoever it is picked a nice place." Jasper happily tapped his foot as he gelled his hair up. "Edward, are you ready?"

"Yeah, just getting the car started. I figured we could go in one vehicle, since there's only five of us." the bronze haired son suggested to his father, who nodded.

"Then, if everyone is ready, let's go..." Esme looked behind her, "Emmett? Shoes."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Mom, don't you think this is a little too fancy for a get together?" Bella whined in her sheath dress, "I feel weird."

"Well, if you dressed more like a girl, you wouldn't feel so weird." Renee chuckled, "And I'm not just meeting with people. Carlisle is an old colleague. Now, be on your best behavior, Isabella."

"Yes, mama." Bella looked down at the table, much to the four women around her's amusement. "Don't laugh at me, you." She looked at Alice, who giggled.

"There's my man!" Rosalie hugged the big man and kissed his lips softly, "How was the ride over?"

"It was fine. I feel like a monkey in a suit, though." He scratched the back of his neck, "So who is this?"

"Renee?" Esme had her hands to her mouth, eyes full of light, "Is that you, Renee?"

"Hey there, Esme! It's good to see you! Bella told me that you and your family was here, and I had come down to visit my daughter, and low and behold it's you!" The women rushed to hug each other, "You've seen good days, Esme! Don't look a day over twenty five!"

"Oh, hush!" The honey haired woman giggled, "You remember my son Emmett, and Edward, where is Edward?"

"Right here, mom." He stepped up next to Esme, who put a hand around his shoulder.

"This is Edward, do you remember when you met him? He was still in diapers!" Edward coughed in embarrassment, "And Emmett was still being potty trained."

"I got it down pat now, mom." He guffawed, "Most of the time."

"Boys, this is Bella's mother, Renee Dwyer." Esme turned to her daughter, who was still crying from the earlier revelation. "And...I see you've met my daughter Alice."

"I have. She's gotten so big, Esme." Renee grinned, "Big enough for my Bella, anyway."

Edward, Emmett and Rosalie coughed, trying to cover up their laughter.

"I didn't know that Bella was your daughter until you mentioned visiting your daughter, I feel so horrible." She covered her mouth. "That's little Bella...she's so big! Carlisle will be so shocked!"

"Esme, there you are," Carlisle smiled, then his jaw dropped, "Renee Dwyer?"

"Hey there Carlisle!" She shook hands with him, "It's been a while since your last seminar! Where have you been?"

"Uh..traveling with my kids, they surf professionally, but wouldn't do it without us to watch." He chuckled, "What brings you to Washington? And such a small town, no less?"

"My daughter, Bella." She pointed to the brunette who was drooling over the menu of that particular restaurant.

"Bella...is...you mean to tell me that's little Bella?" He laughed, a huge smile on his face, "Irony always has followed our families, Renee!"

"I know!" She glanced over to where their daughters were now softly talking, ignoring what was going on. "You've done well with her, Carlisle."

"We have you to thank for that, Renee." He smiled, "So, I'm starving! Who's ready to order?"

Everyone took their seats, and Renee started the night with an embarrassing story about Bella. Esme followed that with an embarrassing story of Alice, and then back and fourth. The night was filled with laughter, and eventually, the food was brought out...as was the more serious conversations.

"So...Renee..." Carlisle spoke quietly, as to not allow anyone to hear them, "How is the...procedure, coming along?"

"Honestly?" She sighed, putting her fork down, "I was ready for it. I was there. I had all the treatments. Bella was here, and I was already getting ready to go under the knife. I was doing it. And then...I thought about my life. How i've lived it, and the people I know. How would they all react to that type of thing? Even now, in 2011, people aren't too open about sex changes. so...I decided not to do it."

Bella's fork clattered onto her plate, her eyes staring intently at her mother.

She swallowed the food that was in her mouth and stood up, shoving her seat back and walking to the bathroom, everyone looking after her in worry. Renee sighed and apologized for her, and moved to follow her daughter.

"No," Alice stood up, putting her napkin on her seat, "I'll go. I needed to talk to her anyway."

"I don't want to impose." Renee looked into those soft amber eyes, and knew that she needed to talk to her daughter. "But...if you really want to go and try to tame that tiger, you're welcome to try."

Alice nodded, turning around and almost sprinting to the bathroom.

"What just happened?" Emmett chuckled.

"I think we gave them an opening for bathroom se-" Rosalie was going to finish the sentence, but stopped when Edward coughed loudly, whopping and clutching the table.

"Oh god." He heaved and sat back in his seat, "Spicy."

"Spaz." Jasper cracked.

"Shut up." Edward grinned, "Not in front of mom and dad."

"Oh, stop it." Rosalie gagged, "We're in public.'

"As if that ever stopped us before." The bronze haired son chuckled.

"Your boys are hilarious." Renee said normally, causing all of the children to look over at her in shock, "I almost wish I had more children in the hopes that they'd act like them. I'm jealous, Esme."

"You wouldn't be jealous if you'd see the mess they leave by just _walking._" She giggled, "They just shed dirt every which way, even my girls do it."

"For your information, mother, it isn't _dirt _that we shed." Emmett crossed his arms, "It is _sand._"

"Is that a surfer joke?" Renee tilted her head and smiled.

"Actually, that isn't even remotely funny." Rosalie tapped her fingernails on the table. "He's got better ones."

"I'd love to hear one." Renee sat back and got ready for a joke to be told. She may as well enjoy the rest of the night, because once Bella had her at home, she'd yell at her until the sun came up. _Sigh._

"Okay, okay!" Emmett fidgets in his seat a little and holds up his hands, "Two surfers are getting ready to paddle out. One surfer says 'Hey, guess what!'. His friend asks, 'what?' and the first surfer says, 'I got a new longboard for my wife!' His friend laughs and says, 'Great trade!'"

Renee can't help but laugh aloud, her shoulders shaking. Oh god. Surfer humor.

"That's funny! Another one!" Renee coughs and drinks some water.

"Okay, here are some 'Reasons why surboards are better than the opposite sex'. You can ride a surfboard any time of the month. Surfboards can't get pregnant. Surfboards don't care if you look at other surfboards. Surfboards don't have in-laws. If you say something bad to your surfboard, you don't have to apologize before riding it again." Emmett grinned hugely, and Renee only chuckled then, her cheeks pink. "How was that?"

"That was good, honey, thanks for the laughs." Renee blinked a few times before digging through her bag and producing a bottle of pills. She took one out and drank it down with her water. Carlisle took the bottle from her and looked it over.

"Why are you taking these?" He shook the bottle a little, and she took it from him and put them in her bag, "Is something going on?"

"No, no. The therapist says that I have odd hormones, and taking those will balance them out. I get dizzy spells and such. It's been hard on my body to even do the hormone therapies, but to now stop them suddenly? Ha. My body is freaking out." She looked up to see her daughter's swollen eyes looking right at her. "Shit."

"You weren't going to tell me that you're sick, were you?" Bella whispered, only to slam her fist down on the table. "You were going to hide it from me?"

"Darling, please, I didn't want to scare you." Renee stood up and walked around the table to pull her fragile daughter into a hug. "Please believe me, Bella."

"There's enough _drama _going on in my life, mom." She spat, hurt, "I don't want to have to deal with more than I already am."

The Cullens looked at each other and sad faced.

"Oh, don't you guys start!" Bella shrilled, making them all jump, "I'm exhausted from my own guilt and shit, I don't need yours, too."

"Bella." Alice touched her arm and frowned, shaking her head. The brunette sighed.

"I want to go home already." Renee nodded furiously.

"Thanks for coming to dinner with me, Carlisle. Esme. It was nice to meet you, Rosalie and Jasper, and great to see you all grown up Edward and Emmett." Renee turned to Alice, raising a brow, "Are you staying with your family?"

"I want to go with you guys." The golden eyes set into that adorable face softened. "Please? You won't even notice I'm there."

"Now, I don't believe that, but if Bella doesn't mind, I don't mind." She chuckled, pulling the short girl into her arms, "Oh, you're so short! You must be hard to shop for."

"I do all of my own shopping." She snorted, "I think your daughter is the only one that doesn't shop for herself."

"Ouch." Bella muttered. "That hurts me."

"You love it, normally." Alice chuckled, pinching the girl's arm. "Bye, family."

"Bye, Alice." They said in unison.

"Oh, and Carlisle? I've got it. Enjoy the rest of your food, yeah?" Renee cackled and pulled the two girls out of the expensive restaurant after paying for their food. She didn't let Bella see the price, she knew she'd flip.

* * *

><p>In the car:<p>

"What were you thinking, not going through with the surgery?" Bella yowled, pulling at her own hair, "I can't believe it! You finally got the clearance to do it, you were there! Why didn't you do it?"

"Bella, Alice is in the car." Renee glanced back into the back seat to see Alice looking back at her worriedly, "Let us not show our dirty laundry, please."

"She knows already." Bella snapped, "I told her almost everything about my life."

"Nice to know." Renee scoffed, "Bella, you're overreacting."

"I am not overreacting. You are underreacting!" Bella crossed her arms in a huff, "Mom, come on..." She took a deep breath, calming herself down before she spoke again.

"Why didn't you do it?" She whispered, biting her lip.

"Because...honestly? They had me do exercises and such to prepare myself for being a man...and I didn't like acting like a man. Bella, they had me practice walk around a little open legged, as if there was something there. I couldn't handle it, and then they said once in a while, i'd have to reach down and 'adjust' myself, and I was like, 'What?' I couldn't take it seriously. They said scratching of the testicles was normal, and that I would have the urge to do it. And then, I would have to learn to keep my arousal in check, if not, I would have walked around with mid-day wood for all to see! I don't want that at all!" She thumped her head against the steering wheel, "This past month has been the worst month of my life. That...and I don't know what I would do as a male. I'm a woman. A sexy, intelligent woman. What if the testosterone fucks with my mind? Then what? My career would be out the window."

"Haven't you thought about all of this before? You wanted it all your life." Bella frowned, trying her best to keep from laughing. Her mother was such a...spaz.

"I just thought of being a male. I never thought of the...added parts." She blushed, "Oh, no. I definitely didn't think of that."

"So...your staying a woman?" Her mother nodded quickly and surely.

"Besides, a man wouldn't look nearly as sexy riding around in this black car with these nice black heels and gorgeous dress, with two equally gorgeous girls, now would he?" She winked at them as she turned the car on and sped toward home.

* * *

><p>"You've show great skill behind the wheel of a car." Alice said in a sagely way, "I was pleased to have ridden with you."<p>

"To Valhalla!" Renee shrieked, "But, look fast! A lion prowls on yonder windowsill."

They all looked up to see Watson glaring down at them. Damn demented cat.

"Will you be staying over tonight?" Bella looked at Alice, who blushed lightly.

"I-If you'll let me stay." She turned glowing golden orbs up at her, and the brunette swallowed hard, her tongue dry.

"Of course I'll let you stay." she took her hand and pulled her into the house, right behind her mother, who said she'd sleep on the sofa. "Good night, mom."

"Night, Bella-babe." She chuckled, "Be sure to actually _sleep _at some point tonight, okay?"

"M-MOM!" Bella turned a bright red, as Alice did, and pulled her quickly up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door shut.

"Aww, my baby." Renee chuckled as she threw herself down on the sofa. "Wonder if _I'll _even sleep tonight."

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, Renee actually <em>made <em>Alice. Yay for A.I.! (Where else would she get her golden eyes from? It was clear she got them from the testube.)**

**Hope you love me still, even though teenage angst seems to trend now. **

**Namaste!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Namaste...**

**You know, for a girl my age, I'm really sensitive about my looks and my personality and my weight. Even though most call me a 'bitch', i'm actually really well-rounded and loving...Well, my boyfriend's brother hacked onto my facebook and put really hurtful things about me and my 'ugly ass face'...is it strange that I feel like throwing up? I feel really bad now...**

* * *

><p><strong>Alice and Bella – Monday – Surfing Competition Day 6<strong>

"Wow, look at all the washboard abs! I'm going to have to borrow some to wash my clothes!" Renee chattered gleefully, "Goodness, that girl's bikini isn't covering a thing!"

"Mom, seriously?" Bella laughed at her mother, "We just got here."

"I know, but...wait...what is that on your body?" Bella glanced down at the henna that Alice had drawn on her a week ago. "Are those tattoos?"

"No, mom, they're fake. Alice likes to call them beach tattoos. It's ink, and the color gets absorbed by the skin, staining it for a few weeks. It'll be gone in a few weeks, though, I just got them last Monday." She touched the one on her outter hip. "I had this one done because I was rooting for them. Like those sports fans who paint their chests the team colors?"

"I suppose that makes sense." Renee poked at it and giggled, "Just wait till you get a real tattoo. I'll bet you'll cry."

"I bet that, too." Alice giggled, "I have to go get my bathing suit from my sister, I'll be back once I'm changed."

"See you there." Bella chuckled as she ran off. "Just wait till you see the rest of my 'tattoos', mom. You'll freak at how up close and personal she got to me."

"Oh? Show me now!" Renee pulled up her daughter's shirt and choked, her finger running on her daughter's hip over the ink. "How low does this go?" She chuckled, pulling down her daughter's bikini bottom as she struggled and yelped to get her to stop, "Whoa, it does go pretty far down! She was _an inch away!_"

"Mom! We're in public! I don't want everyone seeing that!" She pulled at her shorts and pulled them up, yanking her shirt down.

"That wasn't what you were saying when you were three." She sighed, pulling away from her baby. "You ran into one of Phil's adult nude magazines, and you just stripped your clothes and said you wanted pretty pictures like those in the picture book."

"I-I...wanted to be a nude model?" Bella doubted that. "I don't believe you."

"Oh, really?" Renee dug through her purse, pulling out her cell phone. She pressed down on six and pressed talk. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was Phil. Oh god.

"Hey, Philly!" Renee greeted. She was always on good terms with ex's. "Do you remember what Bella wanted to be when she was three?"

"Yeah, a nude model. She'd gotten a hold of one of my magazines." He said it seriously, and Bella choked. "Why?"

"She didn't believe me when I told her a second ago." The mother sighed, placing a hand against her cheek. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'm at a meeting with the coach, so I need to go. Bye, Renee." She said her goodbyes and hung up.

"MOM!" Bella ran her hands though her hair, "Why would you let me think it was okay to be a nude model?"

"Bella, they make great amounts of money. If that's what you wanted to do with your life, I was all for it...though I have to say I didn't approve of it when you were three, and I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with it right now. You're only twenty." She waved her daughter off. "Besides, I didn't think you were serious at all. The week after that, you ran around with plastic vampire teeth and a black sheet around you screaming, 'I Vant to suck your Vlood!'. You were a cute vampire, though."

"Now that has to be the funniest thing I've ever heard!" Emmett threw his head back and laughed, clutching his stomach. Bella looked at the Cullen Five in horror. "Funny choices on careers, Bella-Bear!"

"Shut up, Emmett." Rosalie smirked, "I wanted to be a princess at that age."

"I wanted to be a police officer." Edward grinned. "A naughty police officer."

"Emmett wanted to be a monkey at the zoo." Alice wrinkled her nose, "Said it would be fun to poop in your own hand and fling it at humans."

"I still think it would be cool." The bear chuckled as a real bear would. "I fling poo at you!"

"Ugh." Rosalie stepped away from her husband, "You'd better not be waiting to teach that to our future children, Emmett. I'll hurt you."

"Oooh, future children?" Renee smiled, "Tell me your plans!"

"Rosalie here has wanted a baby since we got married." Emmett pointed at her with his thumb, "We just haven't had the best of luck."

"Well, how old are you, Rosalie?" Renee asked kindly.

"I am going to be twenty three." The blond sighed, "And Emmett is twenty three already."

"Have you considered...not trying?" Emmett looked at her as if she'd said the wrong thing. "Don't misunderstand me. Typically when a woman is desperate to become a mother, she tries to plan a day to have sex to the tee. They go for fertility treatments and all that hullabaloo, but really, what you want is to relax, spend some time with your female family members for a weekend, and tell your husband to _not _masturbate while you are away. When you get back from your relaxing weekend, you can go at it like bunnies. I promise you, you'll get pregnant that way."

"Are you sure that will work?" Rosalie soaked this information in like a sponge.

"I'm certain it will work. Maybe lay off the surfing for a few days before. Just relax. You're young. There is no reason for someone as young as you are to have to go through fertility treatments or hire a doctor that will tell you nonsense." She threw her arms up, "That's why people don't trust us fertility specialists. Most of us speak total bullshit. But I'm the real deal, babe."

"Good to know." the blond smiled sweetly. "Honey, you heard her. No wanking."

"A-Ok." Emmett grinned. "How long?"

"A week." His chest deflated.

"Wha? A week? That's so long, Rosieeee." He whined, but the look in his wife's eyes, the pleading, got to him. "However long you want me to hold off, I will, baby."

"Thank you, babe." She kissed him softly.

**"Good Morning Olympia! It's a beautiful Monday morning, and just look at those waves! We're gonna have a good day, yeah?" **The fans cheered, and Bella idly wondered if he was here last week. She couldn't tell anymore. **"For today we are doing something different. The judges want whole teams out on the waves, one at a time, to do up a total roundup score."**

"They've never done this before." Edward grinned, "We're totally going to rape at this rate."

"Don't get so cocky." Bella waggled her brow, "Jasper might like it."

"I already do." The blond chuckled, "We should go out. They always call us first."

**"And up first, we have The La Push Group! Come on out, guys!"**

"I'm sorry...did he just call the La Push team first?" Alice couldn't believe her ears. "Is that what he said?"

"Seems that way...they're all running to the water." Bella pointed, and sure enough, the La Push kids were in the water, getting ready to surf some awesome first waves.

"Oh hell no!" Emmett growled. "We always go first!"

"Maybe the DJ doesn't like you?" Renee offered, shrugging her shoulders, "Doesn't matter who goes first, does it?"

"It's a respect thing." Edward scoffed, "Though, as long as we get to go out on the waves, I don't really care. We'll whip them anyway."

"That's right." Alice giggled. "Especially with me on board."

"Well, now its the waiting game." Bella pursed her lips, looking around. A small cart caught her eye, "Raspas, anyone?"

"What's a raspa?" Everyone looked at Bella curiously.

"It's a snow cone." Bella grinned, "Duh."

"Then yes. We would like these so called, 'Raspas'." Emmett used his fingers as quotations. "Mine would have to be lime."

"Tell the dude yourself!" Bella ran away, toward the shaved ice stand. She knocked on the glass, and a man opened it. "I want a large pick-a-dilly."

"A what?" Alice asked as she heard Bella's order.

"It's a lime snow cone with relish on top of it with red chile powder. I used to eat it a lot in Arizona. I had some seriously Hispanic friends." She laughed, "They had me hooked to it."

"Here." The man put it down on the counter. "Anything else?"

"I want a strawberry." Alice giggled, and the man moved to make it.

"Try it." Bella scooped some of everything onto the plastic spoon, letting the pixie take it int her mouth fully. Her eyes widened, and she puckered her lips.

"Ugh! It's sour!" She stuck her tongue out and blinked hard, "Ew."

"Then taste this part." The brunette tried again and only got the shaved ice, "No pickles."

She repeated the process, and Alice's face lit up.

"That part is yummy." she giggled, placing her hand on Bella's arm, "Much better than the sour part!"

"Here you go." He placed the strawberry snow cone down. "Anyone else?"

"Oh, yeah. Me!" Emmett stood at eye level with the man in the stand. "I want a lime, my wife wants a mango? And my brothers want one cherry and one root beer. Mama bear over there wants a grape. So that's a lime, mango, cherry, root beer and a grape."

"Okay." The man turned around and worked quickly.

**"Whoa! That's a double wipe out, La Push! Come on, guys!"**Yeah, the guy clearly didn't like the Cullens or something.

"This is so sweet!" Alice scooped a big amount on her spoon, deciding on the best way to eat it. She stuffed it into her mouth, making her look a little like a chipmunk, before she pulled Bella down for a kiss. She pushed half of it into Bella's mouth.

(Flash)

When they pulled away, they had melted ice on their lips, running down. It stained their faces pink, but they didn't care.

"Thank you for sharing." Bella grinned like a fool, and pulled her back for a kiss. Alice squealed and sighed, leaning into their kiss.

(Flash)

"You're too cute." Bella whispered against her lips. "Too cute."

"I'll turn it down a notch, okay?" The tiny surfer giggled and pulled away, backing up a few feet. "I moved so you wouldn't be so tempted by me."

"Impossible." She smiled, walking toward her and pulling her along. They sat down on the sand in front of the Cullen 'Headquarters' and continued eating and sharing their snow cones. When they were done, they threw the cups away and sat next to each other in the same spot. "They're taking forever."

"Yeah." Alice pouted, her chin on her knees.

**"And now it's time for The Traveling Trio to make their stand! Show up those Cullen Five!" **

"What a hater." Bella chuckled, "He must be new."

"He is." She scoffed, "Just because Rosalie wouldn't sleep with him before."

"So he hits on the professional surfer girls." She pulled the corners of her mouth down and shook her head. "Cool, I guess."

"Not when he gets rejected every time." Alice giggled. "Though, I don't know if 'I'll change your score to one you deserve', works best as a pick-up line."

"No...that would probably get him kicked in the nuts more often than not." Bella agreed.

"That would do it." She leaned her head against the brunette's shoulders. "This is taking forever."

* * *

><p>"That's bullshit!" Edward yelled, dropping his board on the sand as he came out of the water, "That asshole has been running his mouth since we got into the water!"<p>

"Fuck you, man!" Emmett cracked his knuckles, "Say something else about our sister again, I'll fucking kill you!"

"Guys, please." Alice held her hands up to stop them, "Don't play into his game. He's just upset that nobody will have sex with him, okay?"

**"Yeah, boys. Get the lesbian to be your voice of reason. Boooo!" **

"Fuck that guy." Alice pleaded with her eyes, "Seriously, we don't need to be disqualified for fighting with the freaking DJ."

"But he's calling you names, Alice!" Jasper threw his board down once he was on the sand, "That asshole deserves to be beat up!"

"He's right, Surfer-Ali." Rosalie swept her bangs back, "He's saying really rude things about you. No way he's gonna get away with it."

**"Don't let the lesbian or the slut talk you out of anything. Oh wait, you already have!" **The DJ cackled, hooting, **"Here, let me play a special song for you! You'll love it!"**

He played the chorus of Lily Allen's Fuck You.

What. An. Asshole.

**"How do you like that? Picked it out myself! I hope you gah-" **A loud whacking noise could be heard, and then a familiar voice came up on the speaker, the music cutting off quickly.

**"Dickwad had to...step out. Needed to get fucked up the ass. So, I'm taking over for the moment." **The voice chuckled, **"Let's start off this take over the right way. I'm gonna play excellent music, and you are going to dance to it. The next time you see that DJ, kick him in the balls."**

The new DJ played Wisin Y Yandel's Callate quite loudly, and The Cullen Five couldn't be happier with the change.

**"Let's give it up for The Cullen Five! Raise those hands up and sway em!" **Everyone did it, and it made the Cullens feel much better. They were almost sure that everyone disliked them. **"Even you, judges. You can get replaced, too."**

The judges laughed and did as the young people did, enjoying the music.

**"Alrighty, a new DJ has stepped into the eighteen wheeler. I'm out!" **Alice ran to the eighteen wheeler and threw her arms around the impromptu DJ, laughing loudly.

"Thank you for that. Hearing all of that out there was driving me crazy! I almost let Emmett and Edward go kill him."

The brunette nuzzled into the side of Alice's face, between her ear and her hair, her locks tickling her nose. She pressed a kiss to the skin and sighed, "I wasn't going to let him talk about you like that. I had to actually beat down a security guard. The second one let me through without a fight. I don't feel bad at all for knocking him out."

"What did you hit him with?" Alice giggled, pulling away.

"My fist, what else?" She took Alice's little hand and pulled her to where her family was waiting. "Mission Accomplished, Captain Dwyer."

"Good Job, Private Swan." Renee cracked up, "Anywho, Alice, you were absolutely amazing out there! I was so proud!"

"Thank you." The pixie blushed lightly.

"Now, let's survive the after event." Bella groaned.

* * *

><p>Emmett dusted his hands off as he climbed off the ladder and examined his handywork. He nodded to himself and grinned.<p>

"It's done!" he shouted, and a storm of foot falls could be heard as the rest of the Cullen Five and Bella came into the living room. "What do you think?"

"It's huge! You did this, Emmett?" Bella peeked under the 'door'. "Is it safe?"

"Of course it is!" He laughed, "I have been making tents out of sheets since I was seven. I still build them to harness my skills for when I become a dad and have to show my kids these types of things."

"That's true." Rosalie kissed him softly and smiled.

"Now, everyone get in!" The bear shouted, practically kicking Edward and Bella in, tossing Alice in by her left wrist and ankle. He pulled the door to the side for his wife, who stepped in slowly, and he himself jumped in. Jasper crawled in after everyone else with a box of snacks.

"See, now isn't this better than some lame pool party? We get to do this," Emmett gestured to the food and tent, "While the parents get to drink booze and get knocked off their rockers."

"Yeah, totally fun." Bella supplied, sarcastically. "The epitome of fun!"

"Is everyone ready?" Jasper pulled another box out from the outside of the tent and hid it behind him. "Now, don't laugh. This is a serious matter."

"What is that?" Bella whispered to Alice, who burst out laughing.

"Are you serious? You brought that with you?" The pixie hugged Bella from behind and giggled against her back uncontrollably, "I knew it!"

"Shush, Ali!" Jasper frowned, "I love this thing!"

"Okay, okay." She bit her lip to keep from laughing even more. "Just hurry up and show it already!"

"Getting on it, if you would give me a minute." Jasper pulled out parts of a...projector? And a black, square speaker. "Now everyone look up."

He set the projector up directed to the roof of their dark tent, and turned it on. Bella felt a wave of nostalgia with this thing.

"Is this that Star Lab thing? The one that they use at elementary schools?" The brunette gaped. "You have one of those things?"

"The tent thing didn't fit in the house." Jasper blushed.

"That's so _rad._" The main-lander sighed and fell backward with her pixie, listening to the presentation CD. "I'm gonna fall asleep in here."

"We didn't think anyone was going to make it out of here awake." Edward whispered. "This usually lulls adults to sleep."

"Let's see if it works." Bella snuggled with her little love and took a deep breath.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Tuesday – Surfing Competition Day 7<strong>

"It's packed out here this morning." Alice commented as she climbed out of her car, "I wonder how Bella's getting over here today."

"Her mom said she was bringing her. She wanted to talk to her about something before they came over here." Rosalie flicked her hair and sighed, "Come on, before the buzzards take up all the sand space."

"Don't you worry, Rosie." Emmett jogged toward them, "I got here an hour ago, and got our headquarters all set up. Our boards are sitting in our spot, and our chairs. The cooler is already out, I just came back for the umbrella."

"Thank you, babe." She grinned, "Good hustle."

"You know it!" He flexed his arms and fished the umbrella from the back of his massive Jeep, running back with it and accidentally whacking a boy on the back of the head with it when he turned. "Soorrryyy!"

"That man." Rosalie shook her head and looked over at Alice, who was biting her lip. "What's the look for?"

"I don't know, really... a feeling, maybe?" She sighed, "I keep thinking that Bella's going to hide away from me like she has been recently."

"She's trying to protect her heart, Ali." The two sisters walked onto the sand together, "She doesn't want to be an upside down turtle when we go."

"I know. I don't want to be that way either." She wrinkled her nose, "That, and turtles are disgusting."

_FLASH _

"Oh, Bella's gonna love that shot!" Angela gushed as she poured over her camera, "Yep. It's a keeper!"

"Angela, did you just take a picture of me?" The pixie's eyed widened, "Delete it!"

"Nope." She popped the 'p' and giggled, "No way! I spent all of last week taking pictures of Bella and everyone else! I barely have any shots of you!"

_FLASH _

_ FLASH_

"God, these are great. Love this camera!" She turned around and ran away, "Toodles!"

"ANGELA!" Angela laughed as she hid her camera from the furious pixie that was no doubt trying to catch her. Little did the tiny surfer know she was a fast runner.

"Damn it!" Alice stomped her foot in the sand, "She got away!"

"You didn't try hard to catch her." Rosalie chuckled lightly, "Just let her take pictures. At least there aren't paparazzi here."

_SHUTTER_

_ FLASH _

_ SHUTTER_

_ SHUTTER_

_ FLASH _

_ POP _

"You were saying?" Alice grumbled as Rosalie's gum fell out of her mouth at the number of camera flashers that were on the beach. "Ugh. It's because we're so close to the finals."

"You mean to tell me that they're going to be following us for the whole week?" The blond growled at a particularly flashy paparazzi. "You got a problem or something?"

"Alice?" Bella walked up to the pixie, only to have a camera shoved in her face. The flash made her eyesight fade, and she fell backward, shielding her eyes. "Fucking shit!"

"Bella!" The pixie shoved the cameras away from the brunette, only for Bella to stand up and run away from them all. "Ugh!"

She yanked the camera away from the one who'd flashed Bella and threw it at him, hitting his head, "Get the fuck out of here!"

"Security! Security!" Rosalie shouted, and the paparazzi took pictures more rapidly than before. When the huge security guards showed up, they shoved all of the leeches away from the Cullens and out into the beach access parking lot. "Keep them out of here! They freaked out a civilian."

"You heard the lady." One of them grinned, shoving back like football players. "If you don't get out of here, we'll have to confiscate your cameras."

Most of them backed up at that, and some of them still struggled to get shots of the Cullen Family and the Traveling Trio.

"God, this day couldn't get any more annoying." They stomped toward their family's area and saw Bella sitting down still covering her eyes. "Is she okay?"

"The flash of the cameras burned her eyes a little." Carlisle sighed, "Don't worry too much about it. In about an hour she should be good to go."

"Great." Alice threw herself down next to her love and cooed, petting her hair softly. "I got that paparazzi back for you."

"Thank you." She whined, still rubbing her eyes. "I hope I can see after this!"

* * *

><p>"No visitors again?" Esme asked from her lounging position in the living room.<p>

"Yeah. She wasn't feeling well since this afternoon." Alice huffed and took a seat on the couch next to her mother, "Mommy, I love you."

"I know you do, baby." She kissed her daughter's forehead sweetly, "I love you, too."

"I know you do, mommy." Alice begun to cry as she snuggled into her mother's side. "Sometimes, I feel like you're the only one who does."

"That's nonsense." She whispered, "Your brothers and sister love you. Your daddy loves you. And I know for a fact that Bella loves you. She's just...going through a hard time right now."

"She's preparing herself for the separation, isn't she?" The pixie whimpered, "I wish she didn't have to go through that."

"Everyone has to go through it. She is going to take it a little harder than most. Especially since her mother is flying back to Phoenix the day before we leave for Florida." Esme hugged her daughter tightly.

"Renee's leaving too?" Alice cried harder, "She's going to hate that."

"She needs to go back to work, Ali. Some babies can't make themselves." She chuckled, kissing her forehead again, "Now, off to bed. You have an early start tomorrow."

"Okay, mommy."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Wednesday – Surfing Competition Day 8<strong>

"Bella, why are you still here? The competition started hours ago." Renee put her glasses on and looked at her daughter, who looked worse for wear. "Were you crying all night, sweetheart?"

"No." She scoffed and turned her face away from her mother, "Why would you say that?"

"Because though I wear glasses, I'm not that blind." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Now, explain your sorry self and image."

"Ok, yes. I was crying all night. But with good reason." She huffed, "I got harassed by the damn paparazzi all day yesterday, and they called me horrible things. The longer I can put off going to the competition, the better I'll feel. I mean, they took so many pictures of me, I was beginning to think I was the one they went to see, and not the Cullens or the Traveling Trio."

She put her spoon down in her bowl again, "Besides...I don't know if I can face Alice after the fit I had last night. I absolutely flipped my shit on her, and I didn't mean to. I was tired, and crabby, and I'm kinda bloated, and I really don't want to start my period while they're here."

"Well, sweetheart, things like that happen." Renee sat down smoothly in the chair next to her daughter, "But we all have to chug right through it, don't we?"

"Mom..." Confused chocolates swirled into intelligent, patient but young, green eyes. "I'm going to lose her, and seeing her every day...it's like a bear sticking its foot into a trap on purpose. I've never worn my heart on my sleeve like this...and it scares me."

"I know how you feel, baby." The mother reached out and placed her hand on her daughter's, "But you know...it won't always feel this way. You want to protect yourself right now, and that's definitely understandable...but have you thought of how Alice is feeling right now? She's out there with her family facing all those ugly people, and she's probably wishing that you were there with her, facing all of these ugly people. That, and you want to protect yourself now...but what about in two weeks, when you wish you hadn't protected yourself, and just let yourself feel all the love and joy that could come from being in love? Why...hide away like this?"

"Because if I let myself love her freely, I won't let her go." The young one bit her lip, "I wouldn't be able to."

"Physically you would have to...but nobody ever said that you had to let her go mentally and emotionally. Hold onto her. Hold her close to you, and let her know that you will always, _always_, put her first, Bella. There's nothing more uplifting than hearing the one you love say that they love you back. Nothing." She smiled widely, "Then, no matter where she goes, or what happens or who she meets, you will always be on her mind. You will always hold her heart. Because, I know her now. I've talked to her about you. She really loves you, Bella. And this whole...separation that you're imposing on the both of you...it's killing her."

"What?" Bella's eyes widened, "Killing her?"

"That's right." She sighed, squeezing her daughter's hand, "Do you remember our old neighbors back in Phoenix? The Grays?"

The girl nodded. Of course she remembered the Grays. They took care of her while her mother was at work. They took her to the zoo, and bought her gifts on her birthdays and even chaperoned some of her first dates. She knew them.

"Well, two weeks after you left home, Mrs Gray passed away." Renee knew this would probably crush her daughter, but she had to tell her to get to the gist of the story.

"What? What did she pass of? Oh my god..." Bella covered her face with her hands, "Nana's dead?"

"Yes...and you remember how in love Mr. and Mrs. Gray were." The girl was crying into her hands, but she nodded all the same. "Well, not three days after she passed away, Mr. Gray passed, too."

"Why did he die?" Bella took her hands away from her face and clutched her mother's hands, "What happened?"

"Mrs. Gray died of a heart attack. She didn't make it to the hospital..and Mr. Gray, he..." She sighed aloud, placing one hand on her daughter's head, "Sweetheart, a broken heart can kill a person. A broken heart...is strong, and it hurts enough to physically kill us. By you separating yourself from Alice, you're basically letting her die of a broken heart, baby girl. You think that you're taking the separation bad, Alice is probably taking it worse."

"You're right." Bella sighed, wiping her eyes and running nose, "She is probably taking it worse. She always was the more sensitive of the two of us."

"Then, I gather you've got somewhere to be right now?" Renee smiled.

"Yeah, I do."

* * *

><p>"BELLA!" Alice raced over to the brunette faster than she'd ever seen her move, and it shocked and warmed the main-lander that the pixie could miss her this much, "Where were you? We started <em>hours ago<em>!"

"I'm sorry, Alice." She sighed, hugging the head of her love to her chest, "I wasn't feeling well this morning..or afternoon. I came as soon as I felt better."

"Good." The little surfer nuzzled into the other girl's chest, pressing kisses to the skin she could reach. "I missed you. I thought you weren't going to come at all..."

"A little birdie told me that I needed to get here as soon as possible. Said that you needed me." She ran gentle fingers through the salt water washed black hair, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Remind me to feed that little birdie and sing to it, too." She sighed, wrapping her arms around the thin waist of the taller girl, "I love you, Bella. I do."

"Look at me, Ali." amber eyes flicked up from their spot on Bella's chest, straight into loving brown ones. "I."

Bella leaned down and pressed a kiss to the girl's soft, cherry petal lips. She pulled away only a fraction of an inch to whisper against her lips, "Love." She kissed her again, and repeated the same process, "You."

Alice whimpered and thrust her chest against the taller girl's, "Should I say it in a different language?"

"Only if you want me to take you right here and now in front of all these people." Alice mewed, her hands grasping tightly to her back, "Even then, I'm tempted to do it whether you speak a different language or not."

"Are you done for the day?" Bella's eyes flickered to their surroundings, questioning.

"Yes, but even if I wasn't, I'd skip out for you." She pressed another kiss to waiting lips.

"Then, let's get out of here." Bella reached down and Alice jumped up, spreading her legs for taller girl to carry her. She turned around and sprinted for the car she'd borrowed from her mother for the day. Turns out, she wouldn't need it much longer.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked the update...<strong>

**Namaste...**


	19. Chapter 19

**Namaste!**

**Thanks for the advice guys! Boy, I've been stressed out! Working in a small, closed off office in front of a computer, going to college and writing and working out and spending time with my boyfriend...a lot of hard work! :D Hope you enjoy this update!**

* * *

><p>"Oh, Bella? You're back-" Renee was going to turn around from the kitchen to look at her daughter, but the door slamming shut and a mild thud against it made her pause. A loud groan and labored breathing suggested that she should not be bothered. She'd brought Alice home.<p>

She cackled to herself and slipped out the back door. Don't want to embarrass the kids while they were busy letting their hormones go nuts all over the place.

Alice moaned aloud, her tongue slipping into Bella's hot mouth. When she heard someone, she was going to stop and ask if they should be doing this, but she was distracted when Bella's...exploring hands, touched her bikini-clad breasts, and she gasped aloud and arched into her touch.

Bella's right hand slid from her breast down her exposed stomach and over her bikini bottoms. She pet her slit gently at first, and then firmed her strokes up, making her moan louder and louder as she stroked harder.

Alice's hips lifted up and away from the door, moving to meet Bella's caressing fingers, whimpering all the way. She ripped her mouth away when she stroked too hard and the pixie's head slammed back against the door. "Fuck, Bella."

"Get used to it." The brunette growled, stroking harder than before and pulling one cup of Alice's bikini top down, exposing her nipple. She licked it quickly and pulled it into her mouth, loving the whimpers and moans and groans coming from the surfer. She pulled away to speak against the skin of her breast, her free hand groping her other breast."Your skin is salty like the ocean."

"I-I was in it...not too long ago." She panted, thrusting her hips harder against her hand, "Oh...ugh...Bella..."

"I wonder...if you're salty elsewhere, too?" Bella stopped all movement of her hands and dropped onto her knees. She took the knot on the right side of Alice's bikini bottoms and pulled it to the side, exposing her to the air of the doorway.

The pixie's hands automatically gripped onto long chestnut locks, pulling her closer to where she wanted her touch and kisses. She panted loudly, her abdomen's muscles tensing and relaxing as she waited in anticipation.

Bella's hands went to Alice's right thigh, lifting it up to settle it over her shoulder and out of the way. She leaned in and licked the slit long ways. Alice cried out, slamming her head against the door again.

_'Thank god the door is hollow.'_ Bella chuckled inwardly.

She used her hand to hold up her inner thigh as her tongue swiped against the folds of her love's special place. She nuzzled into it and felt the hands in her hair clutch harder. She leaned up, finding her bundle of nerves and biting down on it, making the girl gush a little into her waiting mouth.

"B-B-Bella..." Alice's shoulders sagged forward at the lack of energy she had now, "I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Bella took her right hand and licked her fingers, saturating them before sticking one into the tight channel of her love's body. Alice's shoulders slammed back against the door as she arched, "Oh fuck! Fuck!"

After a moment, she pulled her finger out again, in awe of the warm honey feel of her love's arousal. She paired her pointer finger with her middle finger and plunged them into her, feeling her clutch at them with her inner muscles.

"Bella, fuck me, baby, fuck me!" She replaced her mouth on the small bundle crowning her, and suckled on it, flicking her tongue back and fourth on it. She pulled her fingers out almost the entire way before shoving them back in, reaching and pressing against her g-spot. She sped up her fingers and tried her best to lick up the fluid that was now positively _leaking _out of her love, but it was getting a little hard to do.

She went back to her love button and circled it with her tongue, looking up to meet wide amber eyes. Bella looked down to her abdomen to see the muscles contracting harshly, her inner vaginal muscles already clutching desperately at her. She was close.

"Cum for me, baby." Bella continued to look into her eyes as her tongue swirled her button again. Golden eyes hazed for a second, fingers digging into her scalp, but in an erotic way. "Cum for me now!"

"I-I, Bella!" She bit down on her lip, and slammed herself back in frustration at the building tension, head tilting up, but looking back down again instantly. "God, I..."

Alice's eyes teared up, and she thrust her hips against Bella's face and hand again, moaning loudly and screaming, now petting the mahogany locks. Bella bit down on her button, and that was all it took to push the pixie over the edge. "BELLAA!"

She thrust her hips wildly and screamed unendingly as the brunette's fingers continued working inside her, hitting her g-spot over and over. She felt that familiar tensing again in her belly, and Alice's eyes snapped open, looking down at her body in shock.

"Wha...ugh! Ahh!" Bella grinned against the thigh she was nuzzling. Fluid shot by her head as Alice's muscles clenched again around her fingers, and the girl was panting even more now, crying out with her hips still thrusting and fingers still working inside her.

Bella leaned back into her crotch and lightly licked her, knowing she had to be Gawd-awful sensitive now, and was amazed at how violently the girl reacted to such a slight lick. She threw herself backward, screaming.

"Give me one more, baby." Bella nuzzled into her, chocolates full of love, "One more..please?"

"I-I-I..." Alice cried out, completely worn out and frustrated and so..._aroused _by the ministrations that Bella was giving to her. The pleasure she was giving to her. Bella bit down once again and sucked her button harder, making her see stars before the tension that had been building snapped again and her fingers weakly clutched at her.

"T-There...no, no more!" Alice pulled Bella by her hair up and kissed her mouth lavishly, thrusting her tongue into the other mouth. "Ugh...I don't taste g-good salty."

"I think you taste great salty." Bella stepped backward, only to half slip and Alice to catch her by her arm. "I should get a towel and clean this up."

"Let me." Alice picked up her ruined bikini bottoms and half tied them, not caring at the moment if they were awkwardly tied or not, and came back with one of Bella's dish rags. She knelt down on the floor and wiped at the fluid on the floor. "Never thought I'd gush that much. Never really...did that before."

"You never ejaculated before?" Bella's jaw dropped. "B-But you've had sex-"

"Not good sex." The pixie giggled, "Never as good as that was. Come to think of it, all the sexual encounters we've had have been my best and favorite ones."

"What about that hermaphrodite?" Bella ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep her hands to herself as she watched Alice on her hands and knees. She had something for that, too. "Didn't you enjoy...that?"

"I did..." She bit her lip, "But I was too worried afterward to think about ever doing it again."

"Why?" Bella sat down on the arm of the sofa, confused. "You didn't just have sex once and run off, did you?"

"Yeah, I did." She blushed, "She had...uh..."

"She had what?" Bella frowned, "And your hermaphrodite was a girl?"

"Yes, she was a girl...with a little extra." She chuckled, "And I hadn't thought that we might have needed a condom until it was too late."

"So...she came inside you?" Alice nodded shyly. "You...hadn't thought to use a condom, why?"

"Because I didn't know she had...that at the time, I was drunk, and I didn't know anything about that until I came home crying for my dad to clean me out and explain to me what had happened." She placed her palm on the floor and almost fell forward when her palm slid out from under her. "Shit. Anyway, he cleaned me out, gave me Plan B and told me to be more careful. The next day, he told me that she was packing, and that if I hadn't said anything or done anything, I probably would have gotten pregnant."

"Holy shit." Bella grinned, "You got boned by a she-male."

"So. Not. Funny!" The pixie stomped up to the main-lander and pouted, "I would have had a baby with a weirdo! My baby could have came out a weirdo, and then there would have gone my career! And you're sitting here laughing at me!"

"I'm sorry, baby, but that's really funny." And then she took on a serious expression, "Next time you decide to go off and have sex with someone you don't know, maybe you should carry a condom with you?"

"Ha, jokes on you, I'm on the best brand of birth control now." She pinched Bella's cheek, "No need for them now. Though...I have to say, I am leaning a little more towards the gentler sex after that little performance."

"Hey, remember what I said to you the first time. I have something going for me. That being it. Not everyone can do that, you slut." She chuckled, grabbing one of the surfer's ass cheeks, "So...you're going to have sex while you're gone?"

"Are you going to have sex while I'm gone?" Alice countered, amber eyes searching.

"With who? In this small town? Right." Bella released the cheek in her hand and moved it up to her back, "I had better chances in Phoenix. Here, everyone knows everyone and everyone went to Cub Scouts with me when I was five."

"So is that a no?" The littlest Cullen giggled.

"Yeah, that's a definite no. It had been a no before, up until I met you and you took my world and shook it in your hands like a can full of pennies." The brunette leaned forward and kissed those soft cherry petal lips, "If you have sex with someone else and get pregnant, don't come running back here as soon as you find out to tell me that it's mine. Because I might just believe you."

"Can't we just say it's mine and get it over with?" Golden eyes sparkled at their joking.

"Of course we can." The taller girl slung an arm over the pixie's shoulder, "Then, I can take you out into the ocean and leave you there."

"B-But, I'll be carrying our baby!" She sobbed falsely, hands dropping to her abdomen, "I already named it and everything!"

"Oh? What if I don't like the name you've picked out?" Chocolate eyes flickered. "What about that?"

"Then...we will have to compromise." Alice nodded. "Yes, compromise."

"No...I don't think so." The brunette nuzzled into her neck. "You know, talking about babies is awfully strange for us."

"It is." The pixie sighed. "Let's drop it, then."

"What is the after event tonight?" Bella asked when she saw the sad look enter those loving amber orbs.

"It's another wild alcohol party." She bit her lip, "I was hoping to persuade you to not go."

"And miss out on all the people getting smashed?" The brunette sighed, "No way."

"Bella, please?" The pixie turned the puppy pout on, but that wouldn't fly. No sir.

"Nope. We're going. I am going to drink, you can drink if you want, and...honestly?" The main-lander leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I think it would be hot to see you with another girl. See her fumble and try to bring you to orgasm as often as I had."

"Well, now that you've said that..." Alice groaned, "We're definitely not going!"

"Come on, lazy ass." She stood up and sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom, making a come-hither movement with her fingers as she disappeared into her bedroom.

"The nerve." Alice grumbled as she walked up the stairs.

* * *

><p>"The life of the party is here now!" Emmett hollered as Bella strut up in the smallest bikini in the whole collection. A black, barely there microkini. Shit covered almost <em>nothing. <em>She had wanted to wear a monokini, but Alice wouldn't let that happen. Oh no.

"Got that right." She laced her fingers with Alice's, "We're here to party and totally get smashed. I lost my chance last time, it's not getting away this time."

"What kind of drunk are you, Bella-Bear?" Emmett asked as he tossed her a can of beer. She wrinkled her nose and handed it right back to him. "Don't like the brews?"

"Not the barely kinds." She chuckled, "Hand me something more...more."

"Ah, okay." He reached in and brought out a bottle of vodka. "Will this work?"

"Yes, yes." She screwed the cap off and took a long drink of it, handing it to Alice, who didn't appear to want it. When she didn't take it, Bella took another drink from it and gasped. "That's good."

"So, what kind of drunk are you?" The biggest Cullen asked as he watched her down the vodka in record time.

"I...have been many kinds of drunk." She held up her hand, "At a college party, I was a randy drunk, at a house party I was a flirty drunk. At my fifth cousins funeral, I was a funny drunk. While drinking at home, I am a busy body drunk. At illegal bars, I am an angry drunk, and in Mexico, I was a severely intoxicated drunk. My mother had to drag me home in her heels, almost falling over herself."

"Which of the six should we expect tonight?" Rosalie chuckled, stirring the liquid in a plastic red cup.

"I'm thinking a mix of randy and flirtatious, with a hint of funny." She shrugged, "What about you guys?"

"We get so randy." Emmett poked his wife's side, "Especially her. I have to beat boys off of her all day when she's sober, you can only imagine how bad it gets when she's smashed."

"What, no music tonight?" Bella looked around and frowned. "What happened to the DJ?"

"They actually forced the DJ you knocked out out of the state of Washington...I don't even know what for." Emmett sighed. "Whatever, he was a dicksock."

"Bella." The brunette turned to look at the pixie, who was looking at the bottle in her hands, "Can I have some of that?"

She handed it over without a word. She watched as the pixie tipped it back and chugged it. She chugged VODKA. What. The. Hell.

"Uh, Ali, you know that this isn't a competition... right?" Rosalie frowned, "You don't have to get fucked like the rest of us."

"But I want to." She swiped at her mouth, gasping loudly.

"Ali, you cry when you're drunk, and you sob that you want mommy." Emmett took the bottle from his little sister's hands, "That, and your a lightweight. I don't think you should be drinking."

"What about Bella?" she looked betrayed.

"Bella isn't as small as you are, and has proved to us her ability, somewhat, to hold her liquor. You, however, are a lightweight."

"No, Emmett." Bella put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him seriously, "If she wants to do this, let her. I'll keep watch over her. Hell, I won't even get completely smashed."

"Really?" He knew he would be able to count on Bella with his baby sister. "You'll watch over her?"

"Yes, of course." She smiled convincingly, and added, "I won't get smashed, but I'll definitely get fucked within an inch of my life."

"Uh-huh...real convincing. I won't believe that until I see it." Emmett chuckled, turning to look at his wife, "Babe, watch Bella tonight. She says she's gonna 'get fucked within an inch of her life' and I don't believe her."

"Don't test me." Bella looked at the people surrounding them. Time to show her skills, huh? "Are you drinking or not?"

Alice looked at the bottle in her hand and swallowed hard before bringing it to her lips and letting the fluid flow into her mouth. She coughed a little before getting the hang of it and swallowing down more than Bella thought she would be able to.

She coughed again, and the fluid ran down her chin and neck, down her breasts and beyond. Bella leaned forward and dragged her tongue onto the exposed skin, lapping at the vodka and moaning. "Fuck, it tastes even better on you."

"Glad you think so." The surfer moaned, leaning into Bella's body. "I think he was right. I am a lightweight."

"See? Next time, listen to your brother." Bella nuzzled into her soaked skin, "Now, if you'll excuse me."

"What?" Alice's golden eyes snapped forward as Bella was talking to a cluster of three boys. She laughed with them and flirted with them easily, and Alice's chest constricted. Jealousy reared it's ugly head, and she fought the urge to throw up.

"Alice? Where is Bella?" Jasper asked as he knelt next to his sister, who was half hanging off a log near their fire. "Alice?"

"There." She pointed, and he sighed. He could see Bella flirting with the boys and touching them in a manner that was a little too friendly. Surely Bella wouldn't have sex with those guys in view of little Alice?

"Go tell her something. Or, knock her over and take her right there, in front of those boys." He chuckled, "Though, I don't think that would dissuade them from trying to bed either of you."

"What if she gets angry at me for getting in the way?" The pixie turned to look at her brother, who frowned. "What if she hates me afterward?"

"She wouldn't. Have you two made love yet?" He raised a brow at her blush. "I will assume yes."

"She has...given me pleasure, yes...brought me to orgasm three times in a row earlier today..." She choked, "B-But I haven't returned the favor."

"Ah...that's why she is doing this." he rubbed his chin.

"Why?" She was eager to know why she was doing what she was doing when they clearly were happy earlier.

"She serviced you, but you didn't return the favor. You didn't give her pleasure, Alice, and she probably doesn't want to force you or make you feel forced, so she's reaching outward to find that pleasure without feeling guilt." He smiled at her, "You can easily fix this, you know. Just do what you usually do with the other girls, Alice."

"What if i'm not that good? I mean, I've had my share of girls and women, but...what if it isn't good enough?" She puffed her cheeks in worry.

"Alice, she loves you. I think just the thought of you trying to please her sexually would be enough to...set her off." He chuckled, "Just do what you can for her, and she'll love it. I promise."

"Okay. I'll try." Alice stood up and walked over to where Bella was still flirting with the boys. She looked back at Jasper, who gave her encouraging signs, and she turned around and wrapped her arms around the slim waist of her lover. "Hey."

"H-Hey..." Bella bit her lip, "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She nuzzled into her back, licking softly, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." She touched the hands around her gently and lovingly, "So, are any of you interested? I am not picky, I'm just..." Alice's fingers caressed her skin firmly, making the brunette shiver, "In a fucking hurry, if you know what I m-mean."

"Yeah, we got it." One of the boys grinned, "So...do you just want one of us, or all three of us?"

"Oh, Fuck, like I fucking care!" She removed Alice's hands and walked her back to where Jasper was sitting, "Please watch her. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Bella, wait!" Alice jumped from where she had been sat down forcefully, "Don't go with them! Stay here with me, Bella, please?"

"A-Alice, please." Bella hissed, as if in pain, "I _really need this._" She whined, fluid leaking down her thigh. "Oh, god..."

"Bella, what do you need? I can give it to you, whatever it is." Alice's golden eyes widened at the fluid, but they darkened quickly. "Tell me."

"I-I..." She seemed to debate about whether or not to tell her. She decided not to. "I just want to go and hang out with those guys, is all."

"You're lying." Alice's hand drifted to Bella's white thigh, dragging up and inwardly. She visibly flinched and backed away from that hand and the owner. "Bella, tell me what you need."

"I need to seriously get fucked, Alice." She shivered, "I need to get fucked _now._"

"Then, let me do that. Don't go to random boys for that." The pixie stood up, and Jasper took that as his cue to leave. "Don't you want me, baby?"

"Of...of course I want you, Alice, but I don't want to force you to do anything." the brunette whined as if in pain. "Shit, do you _know_ what you do to me?"

"I've got an idea." Amber eyes smoldered, full and pouty lips pursed ever so slightly. "So...where do you want me? Here, in the sand? Or at home, on a bed?"

"I-I don't want it in the sand, but I really doubt I'll be able to keep my hands to myself long enough to make it to a bed." Bella's knees shook and she ran her hands thorough her hair almost subconsciously.

"Then, come on." Alice took one of her hands and led her to the trees, careful to not trip on anything or anyone. When they were in a dark area and there was no way anyone could see what was going on, she pushed Bella against a tree harshly, leaning against her instantly and gluing her mouth to that of the taller brunette.

"Mmm...Ali..." The main-lander's hands went to her cute behind, cupping and squeezing the individual cheeks in her palms. She grabbed her and forced their hips together, groaning aloud when the pixie ground against her rhythmically. She pulled her mouth away from the little surfer's and gasped, "You're so...sexy..."

"I know." Alice licked and suckled at her neck, one of her hands dipping into Bella's bikini bottoms. She was _soaked _and foreplay wouldn't be remembered at this rate. She dropped down to her knees after giving her one last kiss and yanked Bella's bottoms down her legs, revelling in the swollen flesh there. She licked her lips and could feel her own arousal kicking up.

She made the brunette step out of her bottoms and put them by her knees. She looked around them and had never been happier for clustered trees. Especially ones that were only two and a half to three feet apart.

"Grab that branch up there," Alice gestured to the branch over Bella's head, "And put this leg against that tree. Don't lift yourself up, just keep your leg lifted, and if you want to lift yourself up, go for it. Just make sure the branch can support your weight."

Bella did as instructed and lifted up slightly. The branch was higher than Alice had thought, but it would serve its purpose nicely. When that pale thigh lifted up and out of the way, Alice fell forward, tongue darting out and lapping at the smooth fluid that was saturating her lower region.

The brunette moaned and squeaked, her hips lightly bucking to gain more touches, "Ali, please..."

She swirled her tongue as best she could in her awkward, bent neck position and pulled away a few seconds later, much to Bella's disappointment.

"You taste sweet. Almost like bittersweet dark chocolate." She turned her dark golden orbs up to see the face of the girl she loved, "I plan on sampling that more. Is that alright with you?"

Bella let her head drop backward in frustration. Of course the bitch would talk to her while all she wanted was to get seriously fucked. The damn boys wouldn't have said a damn word! In the middle of her internal tirade, she felt two fingers plunge into her depth, and she cried out, thrusting her hips again harshly against the hand that those fingers belonged to.

"Fuck, that's it, baby!" Alice pulled her fingers out and shoved them back in quickly, leaning forward to lick and suckle the flesh available to her. She picked up her speed, and Bella was a panting mess, unable to even form a syllable correctly. The slapping of flesh on flesh was loud in the brunette's ears and it aroused her to the point of that tightening in her underbelly.

The pixie pulled her two fingers out and paired it with another, knowing that this should be enough to get her to fall over the edge. She was right. When she pushed them inside of the other girl, the brunette screamed in pure ecstasy. Alice bit her lip, worrying that her volume would alert people to their whereabouts and activities.

She pumped them in and out of her and was sure to scoop against the front wall, feeling that little patch of rough flesh. She pounded harder, and Bella's body seemed to lift itself up on the branch she was holding as she let out one last scream as the pressure gave away, and she was sent falling back down to earth. Back to Alice.

She dropped down from the branch easily and fell onto the pixie with love and want and arousal. She kissed her lips sloppily, but Alice honestly didn't care. She rather enjoyed Bella's kisses, sloppy ones and tender, chaste ones alike.

"Lay down." Bella ordered as she shoved the tiny surfer onto her back on the floor of the woods. She knelt between her thighs and untied her bikini bottoms, eyes darkening further at the sight. She straddled one of the pixie's thighs and slid their bodies together, their centers meeting and rubbing gently at first. "Oh, that's so good...Ali..."

"Ah, ahhh..." The tiny girl thrust her hips against Bella's, causing more delicious friction. She needed more leverage, so she turned her shoulders over a little and leaned onto her side, thrusting harder against the brunette. Bella responded in kind by rubbing hard against her, one of her arms hugging the thigh within her reach. Her free hand went to one of Alice's perky breasts, squeezing and twirling the nipple between her fingers.

Sweat beaded down their skin as they loved on each other, panting and moaning in a mess on the floor. Bella took her hand off of Alice's breast and brought it between them, where they met, and flicked her finger against Alice's love button, making her jump and squeak in pleasure. She began to cry out as the pressure built up inside her, and eventually, she released and she screamed.

The brunette of the two thrust even harder as she reached her climax, dragging the sensations on for much longer, the pixie's thighs quivering. She kept going at it until she herself fell over the edge, her fingers working her love button with precise movements.

She released the thigh trapped in her arm's hold and laid down atop the tiny pixie, kissing her lovingly and running her fingers through her short hair.

"I love you." She whispered against her ear, rolling onto her side and pulling her closer, arm wrapping around her. "Thank you."

"I love you, too." The smaller one cuddled into her chest and sighed.

"DUDE! THERE WERE BABES FUCKING HERE!" A voice shouted, and both girls jumped, getting their bikini bottoms back on. Bella cursed aloud, and Alice felt her heart hammer in her chest. When they were dressed, they all but ran back out onto the sand, into a group of boys. "So, girlies, have fun in there?"

"Whether we had fun or not is none of your business, so I suggest you back off." Bella said nonchalantly, and the boys 'Ooh'ed like a bunch of monkeys. "Excuse us."

"Why weren't we invited to the party?" One of the boys jeered, grasping Alice by her arm and squeezing enough for her to yelp. These boys were really smashed, weren't they? "Come on, girls, give us another show!"

Bella spun around and slammed her fist against his face, his nose cracking loudly. He cried and fell onto the floor. Bella shook her fist and snarled at him.

"Don't you _fucking touch my girl_!" She looked at the rest of them, "Move out of the fucking way before I seriously kill one or all of you!"

They backed up and helped their friend to his feet. He was sobbing and clutching his nose, and he turned tail and ran away, friends following.

"Shit, man." Bella growled and then huffed a deep breath, "Bastards. Are you okay?"

She took the arm that the boy had grabbed gently, looking over it.

"I'm fine, Bella, I'm okay." Alice nuzzled into her neck as she cuddled into her chest, "Let's go back with my family now. They won't bother us there, not with Emmett looking as menacing as possible when his wife is drunk."

"Come on." She picked her up bridal style, making her yelp and clutch her neck tightly, "What? Not used to being carried like a woman?"

"No, definitely not used to it." She sighed, and leaned her head against Bella's chest again happily. If she was a cat, she would be purring most of the time. "I could get used to it, though."

"Hey girls!" Edward came over to them like a puppy, hugging and kissing their cheeks. "Bout time you got back! We were going to send a search party for you!"

"Bella, what happened to getting fucked within an inch of your life, huh?" Emmett crossed his arms with a huge grin on his face. "Did it happen or what?"

"I don't know." She laughed, looking at Alice, who giggled. "I'd like to think so."

* * *

><p>"So tomorrow is the semi-finals?" Bella whispered as she rubbed some lightly scented lotion on her pixie's back, "Are you excited?"<p>

"I am, because that means that it's almost over and I can relax..." She sighed, and then rolled over, "but then I'm not, because that also means...that we..."

The brunette bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a reason, everything happens for a reason!

"Yeah..." Alice reached up to cup those soft cheeks and look right into those loving, devastating light brown eyes.

"Will you...wait for me?" Bella leaned down and pressed her lips to her love's cherry petals. "I'm serious, Bella, will you wait for me?"

"I will do nothing else for the rest of my life." She whispered against her, "Because whether I like it or not...you've become my life. I can't survive fifty years without my heart, though, so you'll have to come back sooner rather than later."

"Count on it." She brought her back up off the floor and pressed to her tall lover once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Jacob – Thursday – Surfing Competition Semi-Finals<strong>

Now that Jacob had spent...over a week in the holding cell of the Forks P.D., he'd had plenty of time to rethink his actions...and how he could have killed a little girl because he'd been jealous. He thought about Bella, and how she'd reacted to him attacking Alice.

In hindsight, he really shouldn't have done that. Hell, in hindsight, he shouldn't have ever thought he could have claimed Bella Swan for himself. He knew she didn't like him like that. It was strictly platonic. It had always been that way. Always.

Even when they were kids. He wanted to 'marry' her when they were five. She said no. he chased her around and pushed her in the dirt, trying to get her to say yes. She still said no, only then, she threw punches at him while screaming.

He hadn't thought of Alice at all, really. He saw her as something in his way, and he had to get rid of it.

Jacob swore to himself that once he was let go and he got the chance, he would apologize for doing what he did to little Alice Cullen, and beg for Bella to forgive him. If she didn't, he would work until he deserved her friendship again.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Alright, darlings," Esme had all of her children sitting on the sofa of the rented living room. "Today is a very important day. You all know it is. So, your father and I want you to go out there and do your best! Remember to also have fun."

The mother winked at all of her children and stood up, throwing her hands up in the air. "Oh, hell...one more thing."

They all looked on in confusion. Their mother usually ended their Semi-Final pep talk at that, 'Remember to also have fun.'

"I know...it's been on everyone's mind...our leaving..." Everyone looked at Alice in their peripheral as she flinched and clenched her hands, "And...Alice?"

The pixie looked at her mother, as if begging her to not say anything about it.

"Your father and I have talked about it...for the past week and a half..." Her green eyes were tired and full of sadness, "We know how much you adore and love Bella Swan...but..."

"You don't need to tell me this." Alice stood up, arms tense. "Bella doesn't want me to stay anyway. She said she would wait for me. I've decided to come back here every few months to visit her, so please don't...break my heart anymore with your 'well thought out and talked about' words, because all they'll do is hurt me more. You didn't think about me when you were thinking all of this stuff out. You say you know how much I adore and love her, when the truth is...you have no idea. None of you have any _fucking idea._"

"Alice, watch your language in front of mom." Emmett glared at his baby sister, though he dropped it as soon as he'd realized he'd been glaring. It wasn't her fault she was reacting this way, and he knew it. "Please."

"I'm leaving." The tiniest Cullen turned on her heel and flew out the door, leaving her family to stare open mouthed after her.

* * *

><p><strong>"And that was another beautiful display of strength, balance and agility by The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen! Great moves, babe!"<strong>

Alice panted as she threw her board aside and walked to Bella, who had been cheering her on since the moment she'd started earlier that morning. She leaned up and kissed her lips, happy to be near the taller girl. It was going to be hard to pull herself away from her. She knew it would be, because there was no sugar-coating separation.

"You did great, baby." Bella ruffled her hair, "You're hair's gotten longer since I'd met you."

"It grows on me." The pixie giggled. "I thought about something while I was out on the water."

"And what could have that been? Was it something like, 'How deep is this water?' or 'Should I have ham in my sandwich this afternoon, or turkey?'" The main-lander cackled, throwing an arm around her and hugging her tightly.

"Those are great questions...but no. That wasn't what I was thinking at all." She snuggled into the hug. "Do you remember when James called me 'Gidget'?"

"Yeah. Why?" She ran her free hand's fingers through soaking wet black hair.

"Well, it makes sense if I am 'Gidget'. I am a girl who is short, who surfs. And you must be my female version of 'Moondoggie'. You saved me from drowning, and are my love. Only you don't surf." She laughed aloud, and then turned a glare when Edward came running up to them. "What do you want?"

"Whoa, Ali." Bella frowned at her 'Gidget'. "What's with the hostility, babe?"

"There isn't hostility." She continued glaring, but her brother sighed and held his hands up. "What?"

"Dad is calling a family meeting." Edward turned his worried green eyes to Bella, who by now could see something had happened between Alice and her family. _'I pray that it isn't me.'_

"Oh? Well, have fun! Tell me how it goes." She turned her amber eyes back to her lover, who swallowed hard. "So, what are we doing tonight? I'm already done for the day."

"Alice, you have to come to the meeting. You're a part of this family, remember?" Edward placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder, only to have her spin around and jump at him, snarling and screaming.

"ALICE!" Bella quickly grabbed onto the pixie and yanked her back, away from Edward, who was panting and freaking out on the floor. She held both of her arms around her back and hissed into her ear,"What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Alice Cullen!" Esme was there then, a very angry look on her face. "How dare you attack your brother that way!"

"Esme, please, let me talk to-"

"No, Bella. Please, mind your own business. This is a family matter." Esme glared at her daughter, who looked positively furious now. "Let my family take care of this."

"What the hell, _mother?_ How could you talk to Bella like that! As if she is just an outsider? Just a week ago, you were telling us all how you already considered Bella a part of this family! What the fuck happened to that?" Alice screamed at her mother, who looked close to crying now. "You loved her even more when you found out she was Renee Dwyer's daughter, and now that doesn't matter?"

"Alice, please..." Edward stood up next to his mother, who was now sobbing into her hands, "You're acting like an animal right now."

"If you get treated like one for long enough, you become one, damn it. I've been treated like a pet who has no voice. Who gets no say, and now you want me to be civilized?" She hissed to herself, and then shrugged out of Bella's hold. The brunette didn't care much if she was holding onto her or not. Right now, she couldn't find the will to care.

"I was only trying to help. Sorry if I overstepped my boundary, or overstayed my welcome." Bella picked up her bag from the floor and turned, walking away. She didn't bother stopping when Esme called her name. Why should she?

"Look at what you did!" The main-lander could hear the tiny surfer still ripping into her family members. She sighed and kept walking to the parking lot, where her mother's car was parked. Apparently, the Cullens were preparing for their leaving...a few days early. There would be no, 'Bye! See you later!'s, or 'I'll miss you!'s. No. They were drawing the circle in the sand with the stick of reality, and the inner circle was where their family stood, and just on the outside, is where Bella would always be.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"I hope you know that you are _a horrible person._" Alice was pacing the living room of their rented home, "And that there is a great possibility that I will _never _forgive you for this."

"Alice, honestly, I didn't mean for the words to come out the way they did, I-" The honey haired mother sobbed into her fists some more.

"Yeah, Esme," Rosalie's head lolled in her mother-in-law's direction, "'Not Meaning' doesn't change the outcome. You know, I wouldn't have believed you'd ever said anything like that to anyone, especially to _Bella Swan_, but...Edward, the golden boy, retold the story word for word. I gotta say, I'm not your biggest fan right now."

"Rosalie, come on. Let up off my mom." Emmett sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "She didn't do it on purpose."

"No, I think she did." Rosalie sat up and was now fixated on Esme. "Just so you know, Esme...Dear, sweet, loving Esme..."

The mother of five looked up and smiled a little. She loved being called those things.

"If you'd ever have spoken to me that way, I would have probably slapped you into the new decade." Rosalie's blue eyes were earnest, and the mother sighed, crying into her hands again. "That shows me the kind of person Bella is. I'll bet if you went over to her house, she'd invite you in and ask you if you wanted anything to drink or eat. She'd ask how your family was, and whether or not you enjoyed the fucking competition." Rosalie spat, blue eyes furious, "I know you did this on purpose to get Bella to hate us all. You did it so Alice would hate us too, and probably end up taking that hate out on Bella, so she'd leave without a fuss."

"What?" Esme looked up in shock.

"Oh, did I guess it right?" The blond flicked her hair behind her shoulder, snorting, "I was always the smartest of all the Cullen surfers. Even the tiny one."

"Yeah, I suppose your right." Alice sighed and couldn't help but laugh at her sister's jabs.

"Feel like going for a drive, Ali?" Rosalie stood up, swirling her car keys on her finger. "We've got all night to do nothing."

"I could use some girl-talk that won't come back to bite me in the ass, yes." Esme flinched. "Let's go. I can't pace in this room for much longer, I'll wear a path on the wood."

* * *

><p><strong>OOoh, Esme messed up. : I still love her, though. Anyway, hope you enjoyed at least the first part of it!**

**Namaste!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I apologize for not updating for like...three days? I've been really busy with work and school...and I moved rooms in my house, and I was at the beach all day today. I found my future love. **

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Renee<strong>

"Bella? Baby, what's wrong?" Renee slid into the seat next to her daughter, who had been sitting in the Lexus for the past three hours without exiting it. "What happened, love?"

"N-Nothing..." She hiccuped, coughing a little bit, "I-I just wanted to help. Alice was h-hurting her brother. I wanted to c...calm her down. But Esme was too mad and she...she _kindly _reminded me...that I wasn't a part of her family."

"Esme...did what?" The mother asked gently, "Say that again, baby."

"She s-said that I wasn't a part of her family...and that I should m-mind my own business. I was only trying to calm A-Alice down so they would stop fighting. I was only tr-trying to help." Bella gasped, hands fluttering. "I-Inhh...aler."

Renee popped the glove box opened and pulled out a spare inhaler for her daughter. She carried some with her and had them in the car, in the house, in her purse...everywhere. Even in her pocket.

"Switch seats with me, sweetheart?" Bella nodded, getting out of the car and going around to the passenger's side. Her mother climbed into the driver's seat and turned the car on. "Seat belt, baby. Mommy doesn't want a ticket."

"W-Where are we going?" She rubbed her nose with a tissue she'd found in the car.

"Mommy has to go talk to someone. You're coming because your dad is a sucker for tears." She chuckled. _'Mommy's got a score to settle.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Alice and Rosalie<strong>

"Alright, Ali." Rosalie sighed as she threw her car in park on the outskirts of town. "What's on your mind?"

"How mom could be that way to Bella mostly...but then there's the impending separation." She bit her lip, "I mean, how would you go about it?"

"Me, personally? I don't think I would have been as brave as you to take on a serious relationship when I know that my stay won't be permanent." The blond chuckled at her sister's hangdog expression, "However, if I was in your shoes, I don't think I would have the will or strength to leave. And I don't think you do, either."

"I have to go, though." Golden eyes looked out the side of the window, her eyes setting on the small details of a tree that caught her eye. She payed attention to each bump on the bark, every leaf on it's branches. She took note of the specific color of the bark, and how the roots looked down on bottom. "I can't survive without you guys, either. Even my accidentally horrendous and awful mother and father."

"Well...why don't you ask her to come with us?" Rosalie laughed aloud at her sister's face then. She looked shocked. Had she not thought of that? "You didn't think of that, did you?"

"I just automatically assumed that she couldn't..." Alice blushed, "But that's out the window now, she's probably terrified of Esme and Carlisle now."

"Oh, please, those two are softer than teddy bears at bedtime." She scoffed, about to say something when her phone rang. "Shit."

She flipped it open and spoke harshly, "What?"

_"Can you girls please come home? We've got a situation brewing, and we need Alice and you to come break it up!" _It was Jasper.

"What is the situation?" Rosalie frowned.

_"Well, Bella's mom is here...and she isn't at all happy." _He sounded scared. He damn well better be.

"That sounds like something Esme has to face on her own. Is Bella there?" The blond looked over at Alice, who was curious.

_"Yeah, she's trying to hold her mother back, but it doesn't seem to be working. They're still outside having it out."_

"We're on our way." Rosalie snapped her phone closed and looked at Alice. "Apparently Renee heard what mother had said to Bella...and mama ain't happy."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Mom, what are we doing here? I don't want to be here..." Bella curled closer to her seat, trying to disappear into it. "Let's just go home! Please?"

"No, Bella. Nobody talks to my baby like that. Not even Esme Cullen." She whispered, opening her door and climbing out, slamming it behind her.

"Renee! How are you," Esme opened the front door, only to pale at the furious face of Renee Dwyer.

"Where the hell do you get off, Esme Cullen?" Renee snarled at the mother of five and pointed at the car, "Where do you get the idea that it's okay to talk to _my _child the way you did?"

"Renee, please, I tried to apologize!" The honey haired woman began to cry, "Please, old friend, I honestly did not mean to say those things to her!"

"Well, you did!" The doctor's green eyes narrowed, "I can't believe I...God, damn it, Cullen, look at my child! She's come home in tears before, but never like this! She sat in that damn car _three hours _after she got into the driveway, and she hadn't stopped crying since!"

"I went out to investigate like a good mother would, and you know the sad thing about this whole thing?" The rest of Esme's children came out onto the porch, wary and curious as to what was going on, "The thing that got me the most...was that it wasn't just anyone who hurt my baby. No, it had to be someone I completely trusted. I trusted you with my only reason for living, Esme! Just like you trusted me twenty years ago to help you conceive your youngest child! And my child is the one who saved yours from drowning, Esme. She performed CPR on her and brought her back to life!"

"Dr. Dwyer, what is this all about?" Carlisle stepped out, pulling his sobbing wife into his arms, "Please, explain yourself."

"So we're on a last name basis, _Dr. Cullen_?" Renee scowled, "This is between me and Esme. Mother to mother. If you want to get in on it too, let me call Charlie. I'm sure he'd have plenty to say to someone who could hurt my baby the way she did!"

"Mom," Bella climbed out of the car quickly, pulling her mother back but not letting the Cullens see her swollen eyes, running nose or hurt filled expression. "I said that I didn't want to come here, let's go home, please!"

"No, Bella!" Renee pulled her daughter into her arms, "I haven't thrown punches, I've been good. Now just stand here with mommy, sweetheart."

"Renee, I tried to apologize to her, but she," Esme moved away from her husband, only to curl back into his arms when Renee snarled at her again.

"Don't you blame this all on her! You should have never done anything to apologize for! I told her and Alice stories about before little Alice Cullen was born, and she, in turn, told me things that you'd done for her, how you'd cared about her. I was happy to hear things like that Esme, but now...now, I feel _nothing _for you. We've been friends for so long...but this is the first and final straw!"

Rosalie's red Mercedes Benz SLR screeched into the drive way, and Alice sped out of it, almost slamming into Renee and Bella, hugging them tightly.

"Alice, get over here now." Carlisle fumed.

"No." She nuzzled into Bella and kissed her gently, trying not to cry at her sorry state.

"Alice Cullen, please come here now." She shook her head.

"Anyone who loves Bella is a good person to me." Renee sighed, hugging Alice and Bella into her arms. "Thank you for defending my baby."

"She's my baby, too." The pixie kissed Renee's cheek, and Rosalie chuckled.

"Is there room in this hug for me?" She threw her arms around the three women and looked over at Emmett, "Come on, baby. You know you love group hugs."

"Emmett, stay." Carlisle frowned at his daughter-in-law. "What has gotten into you all?"

"Dude." The bear looked disgusted. "I'm not a dog."

He broke away from the porch group and hugged the women, "I still love you, Bella-Bear!"

Alice peeked out from between arms and whistled loudly to catch her brothers' attention, "Red Rover, Red Rover, let the Gay Guys come over!"

They laughed and joined hands, skipping over to the tangle of people. They threw their arms in and soon enough, Bella was laughing and not crying.

"Since when did it become a battle between families?" Edward scoffed at his parents, "All Renee wanted to do tonight was to get after Esme. I mean, if someone would have said something like that to us, would you have let it go?"

"No, I wouldn't have." Esme blushed, wiping at her eyes. "I truly am sorry, Bella. I...I thought I was doing what was best for my family. I didn't think of you at all when I did it, and I apologize. Renee, I am so sorry...for everything."

"Esme, you have to remember my words." Renee separated from the group, "You mess with the cub? You get the mama with the claws. You're lucky that your children are adorable, else I might not have forgiven you."

"Your welcome." Rosalie spat at her mother-in-law.

"And Carlisle?" The blond doctor looked at the brunette doctor sadly, "You ever get between two women who are defending their babies, one of them will make sure you can't perform the act to make those babies ever again."

"Warning noted." He sighed.

"You may also want to apologize to your children. They may be a little offended by the orders you were giving." She pointed at Emmett and Rosalie. "They seem tense."

"Before you say your piece, I want to say something." Rosalie frowned at them, crossing her arms over her chest. "In all of my time with your family, you've been kind, gentle and accepting. You'd never raised your voice or spoke rudely to any of us. But the way you've handled yourselves out here tonight...not good. To remind you of what it's like to have no family, we are staying away from the house tonight."

"Rosalie, please," Carlisle looked so sad then, but Rosalie wouldn't bend.

"No. We are leaving for the night. We will not call. We will not text. We are going in to get a bag of things, and we are leaving. We will see you at the competition tomorrow." And with that, conversation was _over. _

"Shit, that was hot." Emmett commented and hugged his wife. "You're so cool, babe."

"I know." She chuckled, kissing him on his lips. "I'm gonna be a killer mom."

"Got that right." Renee chuckled, "Are you getting your things or what?"

"Oh yeah." All of the Cullen children entered the house and came out with a bag of things they'd need for the next day. Esme was crying, but made no move to stop them from leaving. Alice was the kindest of them all, and gave her a hug before going out the door.

"So...where are we going?" Edward asked as he looked around. They had nowhere else to go.

"To my place, of course." Bella smiled, "Though, we are sleeping on the living room floor."

"Anywhere is better than nowhere." They all nodded in agreement. It would keep any midnight rain off their heads better than any trees would.

* * *

><p>"Are you comfortable?" Bella whispered as she laid herself down next to the half asleep pixie. "Or do you want another pillow?"<p>

Alice mumbled nonsense and immediately latched herself to the main-lander, sighing contently. She threw one leg over Bella and fell asleep instantly.

"I'll take that as a yes to the first, and a no to the second." Bella chuckled to herself and sighed, speaking after a few minutes. "Oh God, I'm going to miss you. You know that? I'm gonna miss your hair, the color of your skin," She bit her lip before continuing, "Especially the color of your eyes, and...your height. The way you walk and dance. Oh, your voice...and how, no matter if your angry or ecstatic, it always seems to lift me higher than I was before..."

She sobbed silently, her voice dropping an octave as she tried to quiet down, "or your beautiful heart. I'll miss that so much...if there was ever a person who got me, it was you. You helped me after Holmes, even though everyone thought it would be better to leave me alone. You gave me the strength to break away from Louis, the evil bitch she is."

"And even as we lay right here, on my kitchen floor..." She pressed her lips to the pixie's smooth forehead, and then the new pale scar. She was snoring lightly, and it comforted the brunette. "I love you. So much. Too much to let you forget about all you've worked hard for. So it's here I will stay, to love you forever."

She stopped talking then, but continued sobbing quietly, her heart breaking and fixing itself over and over as the hours passed.

In the living room, all of Alice's siblings were wide awake, some crying, some trying to not cry, and one...trying to not scream from all of this heartache as hot tears poured down her cheeks.

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie – Friday – Surfing Competition Finals<strong>

'Okay, this is retarded.' Rosalie sighed, running her hands through her long blond hair, 'Damn kids making everything, and I mean EVERYTHING dramatic! This wasn't meant to be so freaking hard! Choose to stay or go! That's it! Nobody ever said that they had to separate! Nobody! Ugh!'

She curled her lip, 'Damn Bella has to be so self fucking sacrificing! Where the fuck does she get that flare? Her mother is selfish, her father is selfish! So, it's obviously not _genetic._ Ugh! Double Ugh! And that Alice! What the hell is her deal? 'Oh, Bella doesn't want me to stay, woe is me!' Fuck that ! Even a deaf, dumb and blind person could tell that she wants her to stay! Fucking idiots, the lot of them! And Esme and Carlisle? O-ho, don't get me started with them!'

The blond looked over to where the two of them were settling down on the sand for the final day of the competition.

'This is complete and total _bullshit!_ Why the fuck are they sitting idle while their daughter is practically screaming for an intervention? She's practically threatening suicide with her words! Let her give up surfing if she wants to, it's her fucking choice!'

_Gurgle._

'Fuck, I'm hungry. Again. Damn it.' The blue eyed girl reached into her bag and yanked out yet another cereal bar, stuffing it into her mouth, 'Damn things don't fill a person up! Should have stopped at that diner before heading over.'

"Rosie, are you ready? We're almost paddling out." Emmett came around to where his wife was sitting and munching, "How many of those have you had?"

"I lost count after four." She grinned, "But they're good for me."

"'Kay. But are you ready?" He eyed her bikini, eyes narrowed, "You haven't 'accidentally' lost your bikini this competition...is today the day?"

"I've actually decided to spare Bella from seeing that." She chuckled, "I wouldn't want the girl to completely forget about Alice and start hounding for me."

"Makes sense." He chuckled, "Let's get a move on. Alice is just jumping with nervous energy."

"I would be too," Her blue eyes saddened, "If this was the last day I was going to spend with the love of my life. Luckily, I'm married to you."

"That you are." He winked, "Come on. I know your worried about them, but worrying won't fix anything. Just let them figure things out on their own. They're big girls already."

"You're right." She sighed, gripping onto his arm. "Come on. I want to talk to Mom and Dad before we start."

He bent over to collect her board before walking over to where their parents were sitting, looking miserable. None of the Cullen Five had even looked at them since they'd come onto the beach, and they felt completely unloved.

"So, how are you enjoying the competition today?" Rosalie asked as she felt a twist in her gut. She placed her hand against it and scowled. Damn nerves. Always making her a mess. "I hope you came to actually cheer for us, and not to make us feel guilty."

"No, that wasn't our intention. You know we love to come and cheer you all on." Esme smiled sadly, "Are you alright? You seem a little pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just ate too many cereal bars this morning." Rosalie smiled, "Thank you for caring, Esme."

**"Good Morning Olympia! For the first round of the day, we have The Cullen Five's Emmett Cullen and Rosalie Cullen! The Traveling Trio's James and Victoria, and The La Push Group's Jared and Paul!"**

"That's our cue." Emmett handed his wife her board and looked a little concerned when she didn't reach for it right away. Rosalie clasped a hand to her mouth and ran for the cover of the trees, gagging loudly as she threw up the cereal bars she'd eaten. "Rosie? Are you alright?"

The blond came back after a minute, wrinkling her nose and reaching into the cooler for a bottle of water. She downed half of it before she realized that Esme was fussing over her.

"Oh, are you alright? Oh, Carlisle, is she alright?" Esme touched the girl's shoulder, and she shrugged out of the hand, throwing the bottle down onto the floor, "Oh?"

"Don't touch me. It's just nerves, now leave me alone." She glared at Carlisle, "And don't you say a damn word to me. We have to go now."

She spun around, snatching her board away from her husband and storming off. Emmett shrugged and whistled as he turned to trail after his fired up wife.

* * *

><p><strong>"Second round for today will be The Cullen Five's Jasper Hale and Edward Cullen. Traveling Trio's Laurent, and La Push's Sam and Leah!"<strong>

"Fuck that was awesome!" Emmett yelled as he picked up his wife and spun her around, making her laugh aloud, "Baby, you were amazing out there!"

"Aren't I always amazing?" She narrowed her eyes at him, and he flinched.

"Of course you are, I was just really excited is all." He chuckled nervously.

"I love you!" She giggled, hugging him and kissing him softly.

_'Dude, what the fuck is wrong with her?' _Emmett shouted inwardly, _'God, help a brother out or __something!_'

"Good luck Jasper! Edward! Leah!" She shouted and waved at them, getting odd looks from everyone. Something was off. And it wasn't her bikini, either.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Are you excited to go out again?" Bella asked as she made french braids with the short hair of her lover, "Hmm?"

"I'm even more excited to see what you're doing to my hair. Isn't it too short to do anything with?" She tried to bring a hand up to feel just what the brunette was doing, only to have it gently slapped down. "Heyyy, its my hair!"

"I know that, but if you touch it, it all might unravel! Let me see if it gets to the bottom." Bella chuckled, "Then you can _get a mirror _and see it. Don't touch it."

"Hmph. Fine." She crossed her arms like a child. "Just so you know, I'll probably hate it."

"Just so you know, you'll love it so much, you'll grow your hair out so you can do it later." She bit back, grinning. "Because as far as I've done it, it looks amazing."

"So, do you have plans tonight?" The pixie asked, tipping her head slightly and making the brunette behind her sigh in annoyance at her movement. "Any hot dates?"

"Hmm. Just one." She let her fingers pinch the top of Alice's ear, making her yelp. "Though, if she doesn't stop moving, she'll have to be stood up."

"You wouldn't!" She gaped, "That would break her heart! You wouldn't want that, would you? That could very well devastate her!"

"Well, then she better get her act together quickly."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

><p><strong>"Last call for The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen. Last Call for Alice Cullen." <strong>

That was the third time they'd called for Alice, but she didn't seem to care. She was too busy kissing the tall brunette she'd fallen in love with. Hell, even if they were to strip the whole victory from her, she wouldn't care. There was no chance of that, though. She'd already doubled everyone else just surfing once.

"Ali, they're," Bella moaned, "they're calling you."

"I can hear that..." She nibbled on the other girl's pulse point, "I couldn't care less."

"B-But it's the finals, baby," She bit her lip, "You need to, fuck, go and surf and win."

"No, I don't." She bit down on the sensitive skin on her collarbone, "I think what we need to do is the only curse word you muttered in that last sentence."

"Baby, I'm serious, you need to ahh," She whimpered, grinding against the pixie who once again, had her pinned to a tree, "A-Ali, come on."

"No." She swirled her tongue around on exposed skin, "I want you."

"You," She swallowed, "You can have me all night long, baby, I swear to you."

"Perfect." She muttered as she pressed her lips greedily to Bella's swollen ones, "Because I plan on fucking you all day and night. I won't stop until there isn't an ounce of energy left in either of us."

**"Okay, seriously, this is really the last call for Alice Cullen. Alice, if you're out there, we need you now!" **

_'No, you don't. You just want to take me away from my Bella.' _She growled in her mind. _'She's mine! Mine, and no one else's!' _

Alice's hands slipped into Bella's bottoms, caressing her swollen, wet flesh. "Mine."

"Y-Yes...yours, all yours!" The brunette panted, moving with the fingers that stroked her as the owner of the fingers hunched over her possessively. "Fuck, if it isn't make it yours!"

"It is mine." She yanked Bella's top down latching onto one of her exposed nipples, biting down slightly. She jumped, and when she did, Alice's fingers penetrated her. She moaned aloud, gyrating on her in effort for _more._ The tiny surfer loved it.

"Yes, yes...yes..." She moaned louder, her heart doing most of the feeling at this point. "Faster, Ali, please!"

"I love you, baby. I love you." Alice said loudly as she sped up her fingers, the brunette gasping and moaning louder than ever, "I love you so much... so much, that I want you to come with me. Come with me, Bella, please!"

"Wha?" Bella moaned aloud, her head leaning against the tree as her head swam.

"Come with me, baby!" She pounded harder against Bella's sweet spot, earning her a loud cry. She knew it was evil to try to get a yes from her while pleasuring her, disabling her ability to think correctly, but just doing it gave her a sliver of hope.

"Right there! Yes! Yes! Oh, Ali, harder, please!" She responded by pressing against her and flicking her thumb against her love button. "Oh, yes!"

"Come with me, Bella..._please._" Alice felt her tears streaming down her cheeks again. "Tomorrow, when I have to leave, I want you to come. I want you to hold my hand as we leave Washington. I want you sitting next to me in the Mercedes as I drive away. I don't want to leave you here!"

"I love you, Alice, I love you..!" Bella was crying now too, as her pleasure instantly turned into pain. Heart crippling pain. Her arousal was long gone, and in its stead was anguish. "Oh, Alice!" She felt her body seize up, and she shuddered, screaming.

"Bella!" The pixie crushed their bodies together, sobbing onto her shoulder, "Please..."

"I can't, Ali, I can't!" She threw her arms around the tiny body of the surfer girl she loved so much, "I know...that you don't think you can go on without me, I'm pretty sure I feel the same about you, baby, but..."

"But what, Bella? Do you really want me to suffer? Do you want to suffer? I-I hate this! I hate it so much!" The pixie beat her tiny fists into Bella's arms, crying harder. "I don't want to go! I don't want to!"

"Alice." The tiny girl stopped her movements and turned heartbroken gold orbs to equally heartbroken brown ones. "Take me surfing. Tonight."

"Yes." She put her head against the taller girl's chest, sobbing again.

* * *

><p><strong>"We are happy to present The Cullen Five with the golden trophy for the Surf Comp: Olympia! Congratulations, guys!" <strong>

"Alice, you guys won." Carlisle smiled softly at his youngest child, "Aren't you going to go stand in the winner's circle?"

"Go stand in it yourself." She snapped, pulling Bella along with her, snatching her board off the ground and pulling them off again. "Come on, Bella."

Esme and the rest of the Cullens looked on in worry.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready?" The pixie asked gently as she held hands with the still slightly fearful brunette who'd previously saved her life, "We can take as long as you want."<p>

"I'm ready now." The two of them stepped into the slightly chilled water slowly, one foot at a time. The taller girl turned her brown eyes to look at the beautiful pixie, her heart clenching. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Golden eyes found hers, and she couldn't help but lean in and kiss her softly. "Are you ready to go farther?"

"Mmm." The brunette nodded, and Alice pulled her farther. They were almost mid-arm in the watery depth, and Alice held the board steady, "Get on."

"How?" Bella blushed at her confusion and lack of knowledge.

"Straddle it. Throw one leg over, and I'll help you get on the rest of the way." Alice chuckled, "Don't worry, I taught kids how to surf, I can teach you."

"Okay." Bella lifted her right leg and held onto the board for dear life. She yelped when it tipped over, but Alice held it down at the end, and laughed at her.

"You're like a cat in water, it's funny." She giggled, "It's my turn to get on. Hold on."

Bella nodded as she watched the pixie lithely jump out of the water and onto the board smoothly, professionally.

"Now, we paddle." Alice watched Bella's perplexed expression in humor. "You don't have to, but if we want to get an actual wave, instead of this," She gestured to the lazy water, "I have to paddle."

"Well, get on it, missy." Bella grinned at her, her throat still vibrating from her nervous excitement. "This board won't paddle itself!"

"Don't make me tip us over. I can still do that." She pressed a kiss to the back of her love's neck. "Now, allow me."

As she stuck her feet into the water, Alice could tell that this would be one of the best times of her life. Easy.

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie<strong>

"Whoa, is that Bella and Alice in the water?" Emmett hollered, only to get whacked over the head, "What was that for, babe?"

"You're going to scare Bella. Shush." Happy blue eyes concentrated on the two girls waddling into the water, "She's taking her surfing."

"Awesome! Think we can go with them?" She snapped around and growled at him.

"Babe, chill. I was just asking." He rolled his eyes, "I swear, it's like I don't know you anymore."

"Don't say that, baby. You know that they're out there to be alone together. We're leaving in the morning. Let them have time together alone." She sighed, hugging her husband apologetically.

_'Have fun, Ali. Bella.' _

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Wow!" Bella yelled from her sitting position on the board as they rode nice waves together, "This is so cool, Ali!"

"If only you could experience this on your own!" Alice maneuvered them easily, "It's amazing, as if your flying!"

"I'll bet." She laughed, touching the water with her hands on either side of the board, "Like flying."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Thanks for taking me out there, Ali." She shook the water from her hair and spun around, tackling the tiny surfer, "It was great."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it..." She smiled sadly, "I'm certainly going to dream of surfing with you while I'm away."

"Just imagine that I'm there." She nuzzled into her neck, "Because I am going to."

"Bella..." The pixie ran her fingers through the soaking wet mahogany locks of her lover, "Maybe sometime soon we can do it again, and we won't have to pretend."

"I'd love that." The brunette sighed. "Are you ready to go home?"

"I'm going wherever you go." She looked dead serious, so Bella grinned.

"I never said you were free to go anywhere else." Smile. "Why would I want you to spend your last night in Washington away from me, huh?"

"Why, indeed?" The tiny surfer giggled, "You wouldn't."

"Not a chance."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Saturday<strong>

"Do you have everything?" The main-lander asked as she looked over Alice's bags. "What about your board? Is it taken care of already?"

"Yeah, Emmett put it into the travel trailer already." She blew her bangs up, "And yes, Violet is already packed up and put away. She's going in the Jeep with Emmett. Rosalie and he got into a fight this morning, and she's opting to drive her car to Florida."

"Okay." Bella grabbed the girl's wrist, pressing a kiss onto the baby blue bracelet that was still on the surfer's wrist. She had kept it on the whole time, and never once thought of taking it off. The surfer gave her an odd look, and she chuckled, "I filled it with my love. When you feel angry, or upset, or...lonely, just...press your lips to it, and know that I am kissing you back when you do it."

"Oh, Bella." The pixie was going to begin crying, but the brunette shook her head, placing a finger on the girl's lips, silencing her.

"No, no. You promised." She smiled, leaning down and pressing her lips to those beloved cherry petals. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Alice sighed as she tossed the last of her bags into her trunk, "Are you sure you can't come with us?"

"I'm sure. I'll always be here, Alice, and if you ever need me and you can't come to me, I will always go and find you. _Always._" She laid her forehead to the other girl's, "Always remember that."

"I will." She closed her trunk and moved to the driver's side door. "Will you miss me?"

"Baby, you aren't even gone yet, and I miss you already." She pressed against the pixie, "I started to miss you a week ago."

"We should have filled our days with more...wholesome...activities." She winked, "Like I said, I will be back as soon as this next competition is over. So keep an eye out for me, yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded, and the tiny girl climbed into the car, closing the door and rolling down her window, "Can I have one more kiss?"

"You can have as many as you want." She leaned into the window and kissed the girl with all her might, "Now go before you lose your caravan."

"Okay..." She gripped the steering wheel tightly, "Bella, I love you!"

"I love you too, Alice." She smiled sadly, and turned the car on. She was about to get onto the highway to exit Washington, but then she remembered something she had wanted to do before she left.

She stopped quickly at a familiar plaza and entered the dreadfully empty surf store.

"Alice?" Angela was shocked to see the girl again, but was nonetheless happy to see her.

"Hey, Angela." She smiled, and pulled out her wallet, "I know that Bella had already paid for my baby blue shortboard, but I wanted to pay you for it. Do you think that the next time you see her you can give this to her? Hold onto it for a while first, though, because she'll get upset that I gave you money to give back to her..." Alice handed Angela eight crisp hundred dollar bills. "Give it to her the next time she comes in here."

"No problem. She's gonna be mad, but whatever. I have something for you, while you're here." She reached into her personal bag and pulled out a really thick card-stock box, "I took liberties. These are your copies, and I am going to give Bella hers when I go see her later."

"What?" Alice popped the flap open and pulled out a huge stack of photos. All of Bella and her together, or with her family... "Thank you so much, Angela!"

"No problem. I enjoy that part of my hobby." She winked, "I'll be sure to give her the money the next time she comes in. Have a good trip, and I hope to see you again someday."

"Oh, you will. I swear." She chuckled, waving before exiting the surf shop. She climbed in, tucking the pictures into her purse before pulling on her seat belt and shutting the door. And with that, she powered the car on and drove off, down onto the highway, where her family was hitting it.

When she caught up with them...she thought of a song. A song that greatly related to what was happening at that moment, and how she felt. She didn't hear the music, but she certainly knew the words. She knew she could sing it. So she did.

"_I'm gonna ride this plane out of your life again, I wish that I could stay, but you argue, More, than this I wish, you could've seen my face, In backseats staring out, the window..._" Alice felt her eyes burn a little at the words. Never have there been more fitting words. She should have sang this to Bella before she left. She idly considered turning around, but knew that it probably wouldn't change anything.

"_I'll do anything for you, Kill anyone for you..._" She felt her eyes cloud with her tears. On second thought, maybe this wasn't the song she should be singing at this moment, going over 130 on the highway... "_So leave yourself intact, 'Cause I will be coming back, In a phrase to cut these lips, I love you..._"

"_The morning will come, In the press of every kiss, With your head upon my chest, Where I will annoy you, With every waking breath, Until you decide to wake up.._." Alice's chest ached with a fury, and she took deep breaths to calm herself down at least a little. Very bad time to play Karaoke, Alice!

"_I've earned through hope and faith, On the curves around your face, That I'm the one you'll hold forever, If morning never comes for either one of us, Then this I pray to you wherever.._." Her voice dropped a tone, and she cleared her throat. She knew now, she had to sing this. To go away, she had to sing this song. "_I'll do anything for you, This story is for you, I'll do anything for you, Kill anyone for you..._"

"Oh God! I can't do this!" She screamed as she yanked the steering wheel to the right harshly, nearly colliding with passing cars. "Fuck!" When she was able to pull off to the side of the road, away from other cars, she turned her car off and cried out her heartache.

She ripped into her purse and pulled out the box of photos, flipping through them until she found a portrait shot of Bella smiling.

"Oh baby..." She touched the glossy photo and sobbed, hugging it to her chest, "Baby..."

The sobbing girl jumped when she heart a soft song playing in the silent space of her car, and she realized that it was her cellphone ringing. She dug though her bag with one hand, and looked at the caller I.D.

_'Bella'_

She pressed the talk button, and could hear sobbing on the other end.

"Bella? Baby?" She hiccuped, and she could hear the other girl try to speak to her. "Baby, please talk to me. I love you. I love you, so much."

"I love you, too, Ali. I miss you already!" The brunette was a blubbering mess over the phone, she could only imagine how she was taking the whole thing in person. "I love you, I love you, I love you! Why did you have to leave?"

"I-I...Bella, baby, I'm...I'm driving on the highway right now. I'll have to call you back when we reach a resting spot. I promise I will call you once I...reach the resting spot. I love you." Alice didn't want to have _that _conversation at the moment. It would only end up with her angry with the love of her life. She hadn't _wanted _to leave at all. It was her idea.

"Okay, baby. Call me, please." Bella sighed, blowing her nose, "I love you, too."

_CLICK_

She gripped the glossy photo in her hand tighter to her chest and tossed her phone into her purse. "Oh God..."

* * *

><p><strong>The song Alice sings at the end of the chapter is 'Wake Up' by Coheed and Cambria. Listen to it and reread it. I dare you. (seriously)<strong>

**Anyway, Alice has finally left Washington...what will happen now? You'll just have to wait until tomorrow. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Namaste!**

**Yeah...I know! Everyone was sadfacing the last chapter. I was sadfacing. I even CRIED while writing that. Everyone is asking why _I _separated them. In all honesty, I didn't. They did it. I do not write the story. The plot writes the story, and I am the physical typewriter. It was meant to be that way.**

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><p><strong>Bella – Sunday<strong>

"Are you really going to laze around when there are cars to be looked at?" Renee sighed, sitting on the edge of her daughter's bed, turning the wall mounted flatscreen off. "Baby, she left yesterday. It's time to get up and actually do something. I'm leaving tonight, don't you want to go shopping with me again before I go?"

"And then there was one." Bella muttered, "I don't feel like...doing anything."

"Alright. You don't have to do anything today...but I am buying your car today. If you aren't going with me, I'll just have to pick the most expensive and flashy car I can find, now won't I?" Renee frowned when that didn't even get a rise from her otherwise attention-hating daughter. "Okay, you asked for it."

"Whatever." Bella buried herself further into her pillow. It's not like she'd even drive it.

"Then, I'm going to the dealership. Don't scream and yell at me when I get back." She warned, "Because it won't work. Even if it has to sit in the yard until you notice it or want to drive it, it will be there."

* * *

><p>"Mom, what the hell is that?" Bella's jaw fell to the floor at the shining black...<em>creature<em> sitting in their driveway. "This isn't the car, is it?"

"Of course it is! Now, come on and look at it! The man at the dealership was adamant that I don't buy this for you, but I told him to shove it." She chuckled, "I've been saving up money so I could buy you a nice car and not a clunker, and this is it, baby."

"What kind of car is it?" Bella hugged her ribs as she got closer to it.

"They called it the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570 Superleggera...It says so on this paper here, but I would trust this paper more than my knowledge on cars." Renee waved the paper around, "Don't ask how much I spent. I paid for it in full."

"Mother! Lamborghini?" Bella smacked her face with her palm, "That's one of the most expensive brands out there!"

"Really? Great! I knew I chose right when I saw all the fancy cars. Now you'll be riding in style, baby. I didn't know if you would have liked this thing in orange or green, so I got in in black. I also had them put in...extra safety features. I worry about you, and this will make me feel better." She gushed, "Oh, sweetheart, they told me this thing goes over 200 mph! How exciting!"

"Didn't you drive it here?" Bella was confused.

"No, no. I had to drive my rental car back here. Two of the men from the dealership came and drove it over for me." She chuckled, "Oh, crap. I've gotta go, sweetheart. Finding you the perfect car took me a while longer than I expected!"

"You're leaving already?" Bella began to cry. Again. "Why does everyone want to leave me at the same time?"

"Baby girl...look at me." Renee now stood inches away from the wailing brunette, "You know I have to go back home. There are babies to be made, and my impromptu vacation has put me a few days behind. Don't worry, I will be back as soon as I get a break. That shouldn't be too long. I'll definitely be back for your birthday, sweetheart."

"I'll miss you." The main-lander hugged her mother and cried.

"I know, baby, I know..." She chuckled, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "There's some things on the driver's seat for the car and some other stuff for you. Look over the papers and call me if there's something else you'll need. Okay? I hope you keep it clean. It wouldn't look good with a coat of dirt or mud, baby."

"I promise I'll keep it as clean as it is right now." She sighed.

"Here, I want you to also have this. It will always have money in it for whatever you want." She handed her tearful daughter a slim, shining black card. "You can have _anything _you want, baby. Don't think for a second that you can't have something. If I find out, I swear, I will go buy it for you if you hesitate."

"Gee, thanks...mommy." Bella's lower lip trembled. "You spoil me."

"Then I'm doing my job and doing it well." She kissed the girl's forehead.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

'How embarrassing. I get caught crying off the side of the expressway, and the whole freaking family caravan turns tail and comes back for me. As if I wanted to ride with anyone while I cried out my heartache and sadness. At least it's with Rose, who seems to cry over things herself.' Alice sighed. 'I miss my car. Why did they have to put it up on the car trailer? So high and away from me? Not fair.'

"Something on your mind, little one?" Rosalie wiped at her eyes, "You're awful quiet, Surfer-Ali."

"No, I'm just...tired from all the waterworks." She leaned her head against the door panel and turned her void golden eyes out the window. She could see the passing lands of Sun Valley, Idaho. In just a day, they'd gone through almost three states. By tomorrow, they had guesstimated that they'd be in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Shooting a little high with their guesstimation, there. Whatever. It was Emmett making the guessing. The just followed him because he had the most cutting edge GPS system on the market and aftermarket.

"Alice, after this competition, I will personally pay for your flight ticket over there, okay? Just...do your best to persevere. I understand that it's hard for you, but you can still talk to her, and look at pictures of her. You tried to get her to come along with us, and she didn't want to." The blond scoffed, "I don't see why you don't make her regret not coming with us. Have fun. The 'time of your life', if you will."

"Bella and jealousy don't mix well." Alice chuckled, "She'd kill me before she'd kill the girl I'd cheated on her with."

"Oh? So you're exclusive?" Blue eyes were bright, "That's great, Ali. So, when's the wedding?"

"Pshh." Alice blushed and giggled adorably, "Whenever we decide to stop surfing."

"You've already got most of it planned out, don't you?" Nod.

"Of course I do. Down to the garnish on the first course of the meal, and the shade of carpet I want as I walk down the Isle!" She sighed, "It's going to be beautiful."

"I can see it now." Rosalie nodded enthusiastically, "Will there be juggling bears?"

"Of course there will be! Just one juggling bear, though. And he's married to you." Eye roll.

"Oh joy!"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Monday<strong>

"Bella? Bella!" Leah knocked hard on her bedroom door. Who the hell let her into the house? Whoever it was is dead. I am going to prison for murder after all. "Come on, Bella! Not even Jake can sleep through my knocking! I know you're awake!"

I slipped out of bed and tapped the door to make sure she stopped hammering on it, before pulling it open and revealing her huge grinning her face.

"It's too early for you to be wailing on my door." Bella sighed, popping her neck, "Can I help you?"

"You expressed interest in _learning to surf_, remember?" The amazonian crossed her arms, leaning her weight on one of her legs, "Well, that starts now."

"Ugh. Dude, you couldn't wait until the sun comes up?" She was going to close the door and go back to bed, but Leah glared at her, and she shivered. "You know, I see your point."

"That's what I thought. Now, get a bikini on and some board shorts. You'll need some for today." Leah laughed and turned to the stairs, "I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast. If you rush, you might get some."

"Great." She frowned, slamming her door shut before going through her freshly washed bikinis in her underwear drawer. It was so full, she'd have to find somewhere else to put them. That, or she'd just throw out all of her underwear and just wear bikinis every day. She picked out the green one and pulled it on expertly.

Doing the same shit for two weeks in a row, twice a day, gains you skills you never knew you had. This was one of those things. She could put on a two piece bikini in a little under two minutes. Try to top that.

She pulled on some matching board shorts and looked down at her feet. Whatever.

Running a brush through her tangled hair she frowned at the greasy way it shined. Shower after surfing today for sure. She ran down the stairs in time to see Leah barely crack open a mass of eggs and shove bread into the toaster.

"Oh? That was quick. Even for you." She grinned at her and motioned for her to sit down, "Now tell me, Bella..."

The brunette turned her milk chocolate eyes to Leah's dark chocolates, "How was it...when she left?"

"Terrible. I cried all over the place, and I couldn't stop. Then mom went out and bought me that damn car that was out in the driveway, and I," Leah stopped her there.

"Wait, what? That car out there is yours?" She threw her hands up in the air, "Seriously? All the car illiterate people get the cooler cars? Why is that?"

"You can drive it if you want to." Leah laughed, "I mean, I don't know if I want to drive it."

"It's your car. You drive it first. After that, I'll drive it." She winked, "So, how do you like your eggs?"

"Cooked." The brunette grinned, "So, get to work, ma'am. My eggs won't cook themselves."

"Alright. Just know that you're going to _work _these eggs off. You'll be begging for food by lunch time, I promise you that."

* * *

><p>"Niiiceeee." Leah commented on the soft seats of the Lamborghini. "You know how to drive, right?"<p>

"No shit." Bella laughed, "My mom wouldn't have bought me a car if she knew I couldn't drive it. She's scatterbrained, but she isn't stupid."

"Alright well...where are the boards gonna go? I mean, there is _no _rear seat, and it would really suck to put a freaking rack on this thing..." Leah pouted, "But we need our boards for the sake of doing what we need to do today."

"I wonder how big the trunk is." Bella climbed out and popped the trunk. It was _nonexistent. _"Well that sucks. Fuck, they're too long. We can just tie them down and drive slowly."

"Perfect plan, let me just put some towels down between the boards and the roof." Leah grinned. "Fuck, this car is too cool...well, except for the interior. That's some weird shit."

"I'm planning on getting that taken out and replacing it with thicker leather. It's too...soft for me." Bella shrugged, "Let's bounce."

* * *

><p>"Holy fuck! That was awesome, Bella!" The dark skinned girl hooted, "Damn, when your girl comes back and she sees this, she's gonna wanna take you in the driver's seat!"<p>

"I'm kinda hoping for that." The brunette smirked, "She'd better love it, my mom paid an assload for it, I'm sure. How much do these things run, anyway?"

"I don't want to tell you, but I can tell you it's well within the hundreds thousands range." Bella blinked before exhaling. "Too painful?"

"My mother could have done so much more with that type of money." She pursed her lips, "But I can see the desire to buy it for me."

"Well, I'm tired of this song and dance. Let's get crackin." Leah hopped out of the car and shut her door, untying the line they'd used to tie down the boards to the roof of the car. "Move it, main-lander!"

* * *

><p>"Wow, Bella. You almost got on there." Leah chuckled from her seat on her surfboard. Currently, Bella was learning the basic form of <em>getting on the surfboard.<em> She has still yet to get it, but she's trying, and working her arms out as she does it, so no harm done. "Remember, you have to lift your leg up while your jumping, or use all of your upper body to lift you up. It shouldn't be this hard."

"You try to go from doing nothing physical, to something really physical like this." She grumbled, "Besides, I've got all the time in the world to learn how to do it."

"Don't you want to at least be able to ride some waves by the time Alice comes back? Don't you want her to be surprised and happy that you can do it with her?" The amazonian was harsh. "Because if you do, get your ass into gear, Bella!"

"Fine!" She tried four more times before she was able to throw her leg up over the board, only to fall back into the water after climbing onto it for a few seconds.

"That was great! Now, the next lesson. Staying _on _the board." Leah was going to drive Bella to be the best she could be, and if she tried to stop, she'd probably kick her ass into the next week. "Now, now, don't give me that face. Do it."

"Okay." Bella tried it again, and after a few tries and squeezing her abdomen muscles, she was able to lie on the board without it tipping over.

"Perfect. Now sit up." Bella came up on wobbly elbows before she pushed herself up. "See, you can do it."

"It was a lot easier when Alice was doing it with me. She held the board down and laughed at me the whole time." Bella chuckled as she sat down, "It was fun."

"Then, that's what I want you to do. Distract yourself from the whole thing. Just think about Alice, and how she would climb up on the board. As if she was holding it down for you. That type of thinking makes people do amazing things." Leah nodded to herself in agreement, "You'll get it for sure."

"How do you know, though?" Bella bit her lip, "I mean, I barely got onto the board, I'm not sure if I'll be able to get on it again."

"See, that's the thing." Leah clicked her tongue, "People who start out the way you are? The way I am starting you out? Don't get even a leg over the board the first week."

"Really?" Bella's chocolate eyes were doubtful.

"Yep. They start off at waist high. You're almost to your neck in water." She chuckled, "You're going to do great."

"..turn up the bass, turn up the treble, we're gonna take it to a whole nother level..." Bella sighed, sitting back, continuing her singing.

"Wow, you're horrible at singing too." Leah guffawed, falling back off her board and into the water. She came up gasping for air, still laughing. "That's another thing we'll work on. You aren't horrible like I said, but you aren't singing an aria for me anytime soon."

"Great. More time to spend with you." Bella rolled her eyes. "I don't need singing lessons."

"Wouldn't you want to serenade your little surfing Ali?" The amazon raised a brow.

"Since you put it that way..." the brunette nibbled on her lip, "Then, teach me, master."

"I can't sing for shit, but you know what, I can tell you when you start to sound good. Or what to do when you don't sound good." She offered, shrugging. "All in good fun."

"Well, I can't wait to start." Bella nodded. "...boy you got my heartbeat running away, beating like a drum it's coming your way, can't you hear that boom badoom boom boom badoom boom bass?"

"Yeah, no. I just want to take a gun and shoot my eardrums out. Though, that would be bad..." Leah cackled as she climbed back onto her board.

"Because you would die?"

"Pfft, no. That's the least of my worries. I wouldn't be able to surf then!" She sighed, horrified. "I think just that would be worse than death."

"To you it might be." Bella snorted.

"Wait until you become a true surfer. Then, you will understand, young grasshopper." Leah growled at her, "Until then, don't say anything!"

"Okay." The brunette chuckled. "Whatever you say."

"Now, get off the board and get back on it again." Groan.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Ali?" Rosalie poked her sister's side, "It's time to get up, sweetie. We're here at the hotel."

"I don't want to go in." She sighed, "I'd rather sleep here."

"So...you don't want to take a shower?" She raised a brow, "Because I am not having a smelly girl in my car for the rest of the ride."

"Fine." Alice grumbled, stomping out of the car before going to where her family was getting room keys. "Give me one for Rose and me."

"Rosie always sleeps with me." Emmett looked confused for a second. "Is this about earlier?"

"Sort of." She snatched a key from him and stormed back out to the car to pick a bag. She yanked it out and looked at Rosalie, who looked exhausted. "I have a room key. If you want to stay with me, you can. If you want to stay with your husband, you can do that, too."

"Okay. Thanks."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Tuesday<strong>

"I'm going to do it today." Bella muttered to herself quietly. She raked her fingers through the sand next to her left foot. "I'm going to do it. I want to do it. So nothing should be able to stop me...right?"

She sighed, standing up and grabbing her borrowed surfboard. She borrowed Seth's board today, since he said he wasn't going to be using it. Leah normally would have come with her, but she said she wanted to practice today by herself.

She walked into the water, and stopped for a second. She took a deep breath and kept walking. When she was neck deep in the water again, she began practicing. _'Get on the board, sit down on it, and try to stand.'_

While her plan was good, she just couldn't stand on it. She was, however, proud that she was able to get on her knees on it before it would tip over and she would start all over again.

"Grr." She growled at the board, "You piece of crap! Support my weight!"

She tried it again, and didn't tip over when she was kneeling. Great.

"Ha! Awesome!" She cheered to herself. "This will get me ahead by a bit. Maybe by next week, I'll be able to stand."

And that was how the rest of her day went. Get on the board, lay on it, sit up, and kneel on it. Rinse. Repeat.

_FLASH _

When Bella got tired, a half day after she'd started earlier that morning, she packed up the borrowed board and took it back to Seth, who just grinned at her, asking her how she behaved. Bella just shrugged and went home for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Back on the road." She muttered to herself. "How much farther?"

"We are almost half way there." The blond next to her sighed, "How long are you going to be like this? I miss perky and excitable Alice."

"She got left behind." Alice bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks again.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Wednesday – Very Early Morning<strong>

'Couldn't sleep last night.' Bella frowned as she sat on the unstable surface, 'So I came out here. What exactly brought me out here? I have no idea. Maybe it's the thought that Alice is out there, so I should be out here, too? God, I miss her.'

'I wonder what she's doing right now. Missing me? Lord knows I hope so.' She stretched out on the board. 'I am going to stand on the board today. I can't stand on it yet, but I am going to. That's today's goal. I've been able to keep up with my goals. Maybe this time I can do it.'

She laid back on the board and sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

'I don't think I've ever felt this way before.' The pixie stared unseeingly at the dashboard of her sister's car once again. 'Why do I feel like...my heart is breaking into tiny pieces the farther away from Washington we go?'

"Maybe it's because we're still going." Alice muttered, golden eyes glazed.

Rosalie turned to look at her tiny surfing sister and frowned. 'That's the first thing she's said all day today.' "Ali?"

Almost like the slamming of a heavy iron door, Alice said nothing for the rest of the day. She couldn't. Not when all that could possibly come out of her mouth at this time of her life was screaming and crying.

'I want to go home.' Alice sighed silently, 'I want Bella.'

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

'Okay, Bella..' The brunette thought to herself, 'Almost got it.'

She took a deep breath and brought her feet onto the pad, 'Come on, you big chicken!'

'Oh, please! This is hard shit! Shut up!' She groaned to herself. She's talking to herself and arguing with herself. Fuck.

She used her hands to hold her up as she brought her knees off of the board. When she lifted up, and slowly brought her hands up off the board, she lifted up until she was in a high crouch. Her legs were shaking, but at least she had done it! Yes!

"Fuck yes!" Bella spun around to look at the beach where Angela, Leah and Seth were standing, cheering her on. "Woo! Bella! Lookin' good, babe!"

_FLASH _

"That's gonna look so good!" Angela squealed, pushing buttons on her camera. "She's gonna love these." She whispered to herself.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Bella hollered, making Seth and Leah grin hugely. They picked up boards from the floor and waved them around.

"We're catching you some waves is what!" Seth laughed, "Even if we have to hold your hand as we do it."

"Great! Get your asses out here, then!" She laughed, falling sideways into the water.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

'We made it to St. Louis Missouri before nightfall. Great. We are that much farther away from where I want to be. That much farther from my life. Oh well.' The pixie bit her lip and looked at her nails. The paint was chipping. Sigh. 'I wonder if she would care if I painted my nails in here.'

She looked over at her sister, who was really pale, almost a green color. That couldn't be good. She wondered if she should ask her what was wrong, but before she could, she pulled over and threw the car into park, throwing up just as she opened her door.

"Rosalie!" Alice pulled off her seat belt and leaned over to her sister, pulling her hair back as she continued to throw up, "Rosie!"

"Alice, I don't feel good." The blond whimpered, "Shit."

She bent down lower and threw up again, crying. When she stopped, she looked much better. Color even came back to her cheeks, and she even managed to smile at Alice, who still looked scared shitless.

"I don't think I should drive for the rest of the trip..." She reached into the cooler in the back seat and pulled out a bottle of water, rinsing her mouth out before drinking any of it. "Do you think you can drive?"

"Yeah, no problem." The pixie frowned, brushing her sister's hair back. "Should we stop at the store for motion sickness medicine?"

"I think we should stop for a pregnancy test." She chuckled when Alice's jaw dropped.

"What? What about your period?" Alice seemed to have fumbled a ball here, because Rosalie laughed, "Why are you laughing? My future nephew or niece is in question!"

"I'm laughing because if you remember, we all clock together, Alice. When did you hit yours?" she leaned back into the leather seat, "Huh?"

"The first week we ended up in Washington." She wrinkled her nose, "It was particularly heavy, is why I tried to stay away from the water as much."

"I didn't get it then. I thought I messed something up with the fertility treatments. I had a little bleeding maybe two weeks or so after that. Fuck, I made a huge mistake." Blue eyes watered. "I shouldn't have surfed Olympia."

"Hey, if you're still throwing up, that means that they're gonna be surfers, too. They held on." Alice climbed out of the car and pulled her sister out, stepping around the puddle of vomit, and pushed her into the passenger's seat, "Call mom and tell her we're taking a small detour."

She made sure the blond put on her seat belt before doing her own and turning the car on, speeding toward the closest drug store.

They ended up in a town/city called Phenix, and Alice sighed. Of course it would be close to something Bella related.

When they found one, the girls rushed in, pushing a cart. Rosalie and Alice stood in front of the pregnancy test section in confusion. The clerk who was helping them was trying to get them the most expensive brand, but they wanted a little more variety.

They bought a sterile cup, and over ten boxes of tests with two tests in each box. They decided to use half of the tests now, and the rest in the morning, right when Rosalie woke up. They would keep it a secret until they knew for sure. No point in getting everyone excited when it may not even be true...though it did seem to be happening.

"Okay, come on. Let's pay for this stuff and get started, I really need to pee!" Rosalie hurried her sister to the counter and handed the cashier a glossy black card. "Come on, come on!"

"Here, Rose, go and use these while I pay for them. You're just...freaking the girl out." Alice thrust a few packages in her sister's arms and pushed her toward the bathroom. When she was gone, she turned to the girl, "I'm so sorry about her."

"No, don't worry about it." The girl blushed, "So...you guys from around here?"

"I'm sorry?" Alice was grabbing the bags with the rest of the boxes when she heard her question. "Uh, no, no we're just passing through."

"Where are you headed?" She tilted her head in curiosity, her brown eyes inquisitive.

"We are actually going to the Florida Keys." Alice said as kindly as she could. She really didn't want to talk to anyone, but she couldn't be outright rude. It went against her upbringing. "For Surfing Competition: Key West."

"Really? I am going there in like...two weeks!" The girl gushed, "You're The Cullen Five's Alice Cullen, aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah, I didn't know I was that popular." Alice rubbed the back of her neck. "Are you going as a surfer or as a...fan?"

"A surfer, of course!" She giggled, "I know it's really weird to be a surfer when I live so far from the ocean, but there are lakes around. I have friends get on a boat and stir up the water."

"That's...cool, I guess." Alice sighed and adjusted her purse, "Well, I have to go now."

"Alright. Who knows, maybe I'll see you there!" She giggled, "Then we can talk more."

"...maybe." Alice knew she wouldn't talk to this girl even if she did see her there. No way. She turned on her heel and walked briskly to the bathrooms, where her sister was sitting on the floor with five pregnancy tests sitting in front of her.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Oh my god! I'm gonna fall, Leah!" Bella screamed as she clutched onto the hands that held her up on either side of her, "Seth, if I fall on your side, I'm gonna kick your Ahh!"

"Open your eyes, Bella!" Leah laughed, "You'll lose the entire effect!"

"Oh God, oh god, oh god!" She could feel the board dipping forward as they dropped down on the wave, "My eyes are open, and I'm terrified!"

"Good!" Seth shouted, "We're letting you go now!"

"WHAT?"

"Bye, Bella!" Leah guffawed as they let the now flailing armed girl go, and down the wave she went, wobbling the whole way, "Don't die!"

"Whoo! Go Bella!" Bella tries her best to stay up, and she's able to make it to flatter waters before falling to the side. "WHOO!"

"That's the way you do it!" Angela shouted from the beach, camera flashing like crazy.

"Now, do that over and over, and gain more control of your board, and we're surfing!" Leah congratulated her as she sidled up next to her, straddling her board now. "I'm gonna be riding you hard for the next few weeks, Bells, be ready!"

"I'm ready." The brunette tossed her hair behind her shoulder, "Though, I think I should have put my hair up before coming out here."

"Yeah, you should have."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Thursday <strong>

'I hope I'm sore in the morning. I should be punishing myself for staying out here all night.' The brunette sighed, laying down on the sand. 'Dad's probably filing a missing persons report right about now.'

She jumped onto her feet and picked up the board she'd been using all night. She'd be back in a few hours, after she'd taken a nap.

She put the board on the roof of her Lamborghini and drove home slowly. She didn't want to be pulled over, or for the board to whack her windshield if she hit a bump. That, and she was dead tired, and speeding when tired was a really bad idea.

* * *

><p>"So, this is..." Rosalie sighed as she poured over the map on her lap, "God, where are we?"<p>

"Tallahassee, Florida." The blond looked at her sister, who just smiled at her, "It has a sign. Oh, look. Krispy Kreme!"

She pulled on the steering wheel, making Rose brace herself. She was already used to Alice's really...active driving skills.

"You don't mind do you?" The pixie turned her amber eyes to her sister, who licked her lips. To hell, 'did she mind'. "Because I could totally use one."

"Hell, buy two dozen." Blue eyes narrowed, "And say nothing! If your nice, maybe I will let you eat more than one."

"Great!" Alice pulled up to the drive thru and rolled the window down. She saw another brunette, brown eyed girl. Shit.

"Hello and welcome to Krispy Kreme! What can I get you this morning?" The tiny surfer could see the girl eying the car and her. She did look incredible today, she would admit...but not that good. "Ma'am?"

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Alice blushed lightly, gold eyes troubled, "I'll have two dozen originals. And an orange juice and...a two percent milk."

"No coffee?" The girl smiled, and the pixie shook her head.

"Can't drink it." Alice drew back into her seat when the brunette leaned out the window, looking closely at her. "Uh...?"

"I'm sorry, you look like someone I know." She waved, "I'll get your order right now."

"Thank you." Alice smiled as she quickly rolled up the window and looked at her sister, who had a brow raised. "What?"

"That's what I want to ask you. What was that?" She crossed her arms over her chest, grinning. "You have a thing for brunettes, don't you?"

"Only one brunette. For some reason, all the brunette brown eyed girls seem...magnetized to me! It's annoying! First that girl at the CVS, and then now this girl!" Golden eyes narrowed, "I'm almost afraid to ask if this girl is a surfer too!"

"Then don't. Just pay for our shit and let's get the hell out of here." Blue eyes rolled. "Duh."

"If only I had your mannerisms and views of the world." She muttered, rolling the window down when the girl was standing there, "How much do I owe you?"

"That will be twelve dollars and eighteen cents." When Alice held out a crisp twenty, the brunette brushed her fingers on purpose, shivering. Oh god. Alice pulled her hand back as if she'd burned her. Her chest constricted horribly, and she gasped as if in physical pain.

She spun around to her sister, who was in shock.

"R-Rose..." Alice gripped her chest, "I-I can't stand for another girl to touch me!"

"Ma'am? Your change?" The girl held her hand out, money on it. Rosalie fumbled in her bag, producing a glove. Alice slipped it on quickly and took the money from her hand, sighing. It didn't burn like it did before.

The girl looked at her oddly before passing her two boxes and a bag.

"Thank you for stopping at Krispy Kreme!" She smiled cheerfully and Alice just sped off, snatching a doughnut from Rosalie's box and stuffing half of it into her mouth. Rosalie was moaning in delight, packing them down quickly.

"So, you must _really _love Bella if your mind reacts that way to other girls coming on to you." Rosalie chuckled. "I am envious. Though, not that envious. Looked like it hurt like a bitch."

"It did." Alice laughed breathlessly as she answered around her full mouth. "What day is it today?"

"Today is...Thursday, August 13th." Rosalie sipped at her orange juice, "Why?"

"The meteor shower." Both girls perked up, "Bella's meteor shower's peak is tonight!"

* * *

><p>"Oh..." Bella sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes, "Dude, what time is it?"<p>

She glanced at her alarm clock and yawned. Eight o' clock? "Damn. Slept the day away, and now I ha," She paused as she looked at her calendar. The meteor shower!

She threw off her pajamas and pulled on a new bikini and board shorts. When she was dressed, she ran down the stairs and out the door, car keys in hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Finally you guys show up." Emmett grinned, "Hey, are those Krispy Kremes?"

"All gone." The bear's wife taunted him with the empty box, "I enjoyed every last bite!"

"Aww, not cool." He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, are we ready to head inside? It's gonna get hot tonight."

"Perfect!" Alice shrilled, scaring her brother half to death. She hadn't spoken to anyone in the past three to four days, and suddenly she speaks? "Tonight is the meteor shower Bella had told us about, remember? August 13th!"

"Oh yeah!" Emmett reached into the back of his Jeep, "To the park, anyone?"

"Let's do it!" Alice laughed, smiling. "Go get Edward and Jasper! I want them to come along! Then we can all see Bella's meteors!"

"Alright, Ali, let me go get them." Emmett smiled softly and ran as quickly as possible to find his brothers. Who knew how long this Ali would stick around? Nobody.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Beautiful." The brunette sighed as she laid out on the board she'd used for late night surfing. She hadn't expected to come and be out on the water as she watched the meteors go by, but she couldn't resist. She could see them much better out here. "Ali, I hope you're seeing this, too."

"I miss you, little Alice Cullen. But I'll bet you already know that." She whispered to herself, "God knows I let you know it before you left. How long have we been apart now? Four days? Going on five? A week! A week, and I still can't get you out of my head."

"I know it's really bad to talk to oneself, but I can't help it. I feel like I'm talking to you. I can't wait until I see you again. I hope I get to talk to you soon, because every time I hear your voice, I just... I get so happy, Ali. So happy."

As the meteors shot by, Bella closed her eyes and made a wish.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Look, look! It's starting!" Alice shouted as they all laid down on the grassy floor of the park. It was an open park, so they weren't breaking any laws by being there at odd hours of the night.

"Amazing!" Rosalie gaped, "Ali, remember to make a wish!"

Alice snapped her eyes shut tightly and felt her body tense up with all the hope and love she was trying to convey as she made her wish. She could tell everyone else did it too, because nobody was talking, and for a moment, Alice felt at peace. Almost as if Bella was there with her.

'Oh, if only...' She teared up behind closed lids, 'She would have loved it here.'

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday<strong>

"Okay, I am officially sore." Bella whined as she stretched her aching muscles. All of her body hurt, from her feet up to her ears. She wanted to scream when she stood up too soon, but she knew that maybe a hot shower would fix that up really quickly.

She grabbed some clean clothes and walked _slowly _to the bathroom down the hall. When she arrived, she closed the door, but didn't lock it, and turned the shower on. The water was freezing, but it would warm up by the time Bella had stripped and brushed her hair.

She dropped her shorts and shrugged off her shirt, tearing up. "Fuck, that hurts."

"BELLA?" _'Shit. That's Leah.'_

"WHAT?" She shouted over the sound of the shower, and she could hear Leah coming up the stairs. She pulled the towel off the rack and wrapped it around her in the nick of time. Leah didn't knock or anything, she just _shoved _the door open. As if she owned the damn place. "Showering here. Don't you know how to knock?"

"What? It's just _you._ You couldn't turn me on, even if you _are _a girl." She snorted, "Same thing with Angela."

"Well, what do you want?" She grumbled, annoyed.

"We're going to the beach in a few minutes. I want to see how much practice you've gotten in while I haven't been looking." She chuckled, "You have been practicing, haven't you?"

"Of course." She stuck her hand in the shower, almost mewling at the hot water. "Get out now, so I can enjoy my shower. Don't eat everything in the house."

"I won't. Just half of it." She winked and laughed as she slammed the door shut and was heard jumping down each individual step.

She dropped her towel and stepped into the shower, moaning aloud. _'Lord, this feels __**great**__.'_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Yay! <em>Bella is learning to surf...and she's getting good at it. How much will she learn before Alice comes back? I guess we'll find out tomorrow. **

**Ya know, I have never been drunk before, buzzed at best, but for the first time this past weekend, I witnessed an official drunk girl. she was just...out of it. and, she threw up and was mad at everyone and demanded that i not let go of her hand or leave her side. Which was weird, because I eventually fell asleep with her on the bed, but she kept on moving around and talking harshly and she accidentally hit me when she was throwing up and my friend Rudy was trying to take care of her. So I whined and cried until my boyfriend came to my rescue. **

**Namaste!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Namaste! It has come to my attention that I have absolutely spoiled you all by updating so often! :D It's alright...but if I keep at it, in ten days after this exactly, you will be forced to wait longer periods of time. Sorry about that! **

* * *

><p><strong>Edward<strong>

"Alright, rise and shine, everyone!" Esme was all hustle and bustle this morning, and Jasper nudged against his boyfriend, "Come on, now! Boys, don't make me do the unthinkable!"

"What would that be, mother?" Edward yawned as he sat up, "Run us out of here naked?"

"You say that as if I wouldn't." She winked, "Now come on. If everyone is dressed and ready to go in twenty minutes, we'll go eat breakfast at Denny's."

Jasper rolled over and fell off the bed they'd slept in, groaning after he'd hit the floor. He stood up quickly, yanking yesterday's jeans on and pulling on Edward's shirt from last night.

"My shirt." The bronze haired boy frowned, "Where is yours?"

"Your wearing it already." Blue eyes drifted to the black band shirt his boyfriend was wearing, "Has anyone ever told you you look great in black?"

"Has anyone ever told you you guys are totally gay?" Emmett laughed as he walked into the room just in time to hear their conversation. "Shower's free, you know."

"Not if we want Denny's it isn't." Edward climbed off the bed and threw his things into his bag, rushing to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Jasper came in right behind him and set to identical tasks.

"Denny's? We're going to Denny's?" Emmett's eyes lit up, "Oh man! Let me go wake up the girls!"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Alright, Bella. Show me what you got!" Leah shouted as she paddled out with the brunette. She was a little surprised that Bella was keeping up with her while paddling, but hey, anyone can push themselves on a board. It was what they could do after that, that was important.

"Don't make fun of me, though, I think I've made a lot of progress." When they reached a nice area, Leah made them move into a more desirable area to catch a nice wave. Bella stood up with ease now, and when she pushed into it, she was off.

"Bella! You're doing it!" The amazon was amazed. Her friend had learned to surf in a week. Not anywhere near professionally, but hey, she was surfing! She pushed off too, and surfed laterally to her newbie friend, her shortboard making her zip past her, though she did come back and forth to watch her.

_FLASH _

When the two girls came back to land after hours of surfing and sunburn, Bella turned to her best friend and asked something serious.

"Leah, I've got a question." Brown eyes met. "What is this feeling called? I get out here, and my heart starts pounding, and I just want to get in the water and surf it. What is that feeling called? I can't pinpoint it exactly."

"It's called being _stoked_." She chuckled, "And, all surfers get stoked by the sight of a blue ocean, other surfers, and great waves."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Saturday – Sunday<strong>

"Alright! I give!" Leah, once they hit the sand, made Bella drop onto her knees onto the sand, looking up at her. "I, Madam Leah Clearwater, dub thee, Bella Swan, no longer the 'grasshopper', and surely the 'noob'. I'm giving you your surfing knighthood. Cool, huh?"

"So I am a noob?" She raised a brow. Where had she heard that term before?

"And a surfer." She winked. "Congrats."

"YES!" Bella pumped her fists, "This calls for a celebration!"

"Yes, I do believe a celebration is in order..." Leah pursed her lips, "Party in La Push!"

"When?" Bella asked, excitedly.

"Tonight, of course!" She chuckled, "I gotta get stuff ready, and I want the La Push surfers there, too! I'll call Angela and Jessica!"

"Okay. I'm going to head home and take a shower. Call me with the details later!" Bella grabbed her longboard and walked to her car with a kick in her step. _'Oh, Alice! You'd be so proud of me!'_

Sigh.

_FLASH _

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

** '**The Florida Keys. Home of every water-sport known to man. Supposedly.' Alice sighed as she looked at the water as they passed. Eleven miles of nothing but boring ferry ride. 'Couldn't even bring my Mercedes. 'too many cars' Dad said. Emmett was able to bring his Jeep, but my little canary yellow Mercedes was too much. Ugh. Double standards suck.'

"Ali?" Jasper took a seat next to his sister, "I know you are unhappy that we had to leave your cars in storage, but it's only for a few weeks, right?"

"You try going for a few weeks without something you love." She bit, and he flinched. Oh come on. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant it in a 'cell phone' or 'facebook' type of way."

"Oh." Blue eyes glittered, "So, how is Bella?"

The pixie shrugged, "Haven't talked to her in a week. I have no clue."

"Why not?" He asked after hesitating for a minute or so.

"She hasn't tried contacting me since we left Washington. I suppose it's just...that she doesn't have anything to say, or anything to tell me. I know she loves me, and if anything ever happened, I'd be the first person to know." She smiled, "Much the same way that I haven't called her, and I don't have anything important to report to her."

"So, are you excited to be an aunt?" He poked her side, "We've already made like...five different bets! We, Edward and I, are so excited!"

"I'm thrilled to be an aunt. I can't wait to meet the little one." She sighed, thinking about her own future. Would Bella want children with her? "What are the bets going?"

"Gender. Genes. Date. Weight. Temperament. Looks." He chuckled, "We've gone through almost everything under the sun."

"Can I put in my ideas for those?" The blond nodded. "I think...girl. Black hair. Blue eyes. Late March, like me. Seven pounds. Sweet and quiet. She'll be perfect."

"Sounds like you've seen her in a dream." He grinned.

"Of course I have. Since the day Emmett told me he loved Rose, I've envisioned their children." She whispered, "I've even envisioned my own children."

"Want to elaborate on that last one?" He nudged her with his arm, and she shook her head.

"Too early." She sighed, "Much too early. Key West looks like a pentagonal prison."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Hey, did I get here on time?" Bella asked as she locked her car and turned the alarm on, "Or is the party already over?"

"You got here in the nick of time, actually." Leah laughed, "Sam and the other guys invited other surfers to chill with us. If any of them give you trouble, come get me and I'll set it straight."

"Alright." The brunette nodded as she followed her friend inside the house, "Where is Seth?"

"He's over there. He didn't agree with us having a party with a bunch of surfers, but he's happy enough for you to ignore them." She leaned in close to whisper in Bella's ear, "He thinks they hit on him. Some of them do."

"Poor Seth." Brown eyes sparkled, "Let's go talk to him."

"Actually, I'm going to go and talk to someone about something I forgot about, if that's alright." Leah winked and patted her in the direction of the small kitchen. She bumped his hip, and he threw his arms around her.

"Bella! You're here!" He squealed, and she just laughed and kissed the top of his head, "Oh, all of these surfers are just horrible!"

"Why, Seth?" She was confused, but amused at their talking. The boy was about to say something, when a couple of guys came up to them, smelling of drugs.

"Hey, your Bella, right?" She smiled as if they were idiots, and nodded. The shortest of the boys smacked his friend's arm, "Of course she's Bella. She's the only white girl around here, you idiot."

"Whatever." He shrugged, "Anyway, we wanted to ask you if you wanted to go have a session with us."

"I'm sorry, explain? And preferably in easy to understand terms?" Bella sighed. Surfer boys were idiots. "What do you mean by 'have a session'?"

"Bella, who cares what they mean! Just say no." Seth whispered harshly into her ear, "It can't be good if they're proposing it."

"Hey, shut it, small fry!" The guy in the middle yelled at the teen, making him cuddle into Bella's back. "Mind your own business."

"Whatever it was that you were asking me to do with you, I say no." She patted Seth's head and grinned, "I'm not interested."

"Come on, girl." One of them was going to hound her, but one look from his friend stopped him. "We were just going to go and smoke something. Then, maybe after that..." He grinned, and Bella felt her stomach twist.

"Sounds like it would have been a great plan, if I wasn't taken, boys." She looked to see Leah talking with a boy in the living room, quite heatedly by appearance.

"He doesn't have to know. Come on, baby, all surfers do drugs." The last one almost glared at her. "All surfers."

"Seth and Leah don't do drugs." She shrugged, "The Cullen Five didn't do drugs."

"Seth and Leah are suck ups and fuck ups. The Cullen Five...oh, don't even get me started on those stupid, fake mother fuckers." The short one seemed to get angrier the longer he stood where he was, "The whole team is fucking...first the big guy with that blond babe. She wouldn't even give me the time of day, and then those faggots. Ugh. Disgusting!"

"Bella," Seth wrapped his arms around Bella's waist, trying to hold her back. She began to shake, starting to see red. "Don't."

"And then that short little bitch. Thinking that she surfs so much better than everyone else. The Cullens make me sick!" He faked gagging, and Bella wished it was her fist down his throat that was making him gag.

"I wouldn't talk about The Cullens that way in front of Bella here." Leah was there suddenly, pushing between Bella and the idiots. "She's one of their future members, you may not want to say things like that to her."

"Her? A future member?" He spat, "Pretend I never offered to chill with you."

"I said no, anyway." She spat back, pressing her chest into Leah's back. "And while you are off smoking your health away and living like bums, they're living the high life of surfing where you will never in your entire life surf!"

"Bella, that's enough." Leah spun around and hugged her. "Calm down. The party is canceled. Just you, me and Seth are going out tonight."

"Good, because I can't stand to be around surfer idiots anymore." She huffed, walking out with Seth as Leah kicked everyone out. When they were outside, they could see the drug idiots gawking at Bella's car, and she smiled. She pulled out her keys and waited until they were really close to it before pressing the panic button.

They jumped and started freaking out, running away. She laughed, and led Seth over to it.

"Shit, I forgot it doesn't have a back seat." She looked at Seth, who looked sad. "You'll have to sit on Leah's lap. You aren't staying home while we are celebrating my surfer-ship."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

'I was wrong in my earlier statement.' Alice grumbled as she pouted on the white sand, 'This place is paradise. A total and complete paradise. Fuck.'

"Alice? Are you coming inside for dinner, dear?" It was Esme.

"Yeah. Just let me mope around for another minute or so." The pixie sighed as she laid back in the sand. She rolled around for a whole sixty seconds. She counted. "Okay, I'm done."

"Hmm...well, you have a phone call waiting in the kitchen. Just to let you know." Esme winked and walked away from her daughter, who rushed to the kitchen, nearly hitting her head as she rounded the corner too quickly. She looked around like crazy until she spotted her cell phone lying on the counter.

She picked it up and almost fumbled it, "Hello?"

"Hey, baby!" Bella squealed on the other end, and Alice felt her heart kick into last gear, her lungs filling and emptying faster than before.

"Hey, you! Why haven't you called me?" Alice was so happy to hear from her love, she sat down on the kitchen floor while she talked to her. Esme came by after a few minutes, handing her a plate and a fork and a glass full of water. She mouthed a thanks to her, before turning back to her phone call.

"Oh, I've just been really busy missing you is all!" She giggled, "But don't worry, I'm kinda getting the hang of things around here. My mom bought me a car, and you're gonna love it when you see it."

"Really? What kind is it?" Alice wanted to know, and she wanted to know now, damn it!

"I can't tell you that. You'll have to wait until you get here to see it!" Bella chuckled, "But, I will tell you what color it is."

"Then, do tell." She leaned against the cabinet behind her, her legs splayed out in front of her, "I'm dying in anticipation."

"It's gloss black and very nice. I think even Rosalie would like it." Alice rolled her eyes at that. Of course her sister would come up in conversation. She always did. "So, how are you, baby?"

"I'm...doing as best as I can. I can't...be nice to my family all the time, or even be nice to people. I mean, I've had four run ins with girls hitting on me, baby, and it was the most horrible thing in my life! I love you so much!" She whined, "I want to see you, baby."

"Want me to send you a picture?" she asked quietly.

"YES!" The pixie screamed, "Yes! Do it!"

"Are you alone? In your room?" Alice frowned. Why would she need to- Oh. OH!

"I'm going there now!" She stood up and ran up the stairs and up to her room, slamming the door shut, "Okay, I'm alone."

There was a small noise, indicating that she'd received a new media message. It was a picture. She opened it, while still on the line with Bella, and gasped.

"Baby, you had to send me that type of picture, didn't you?" She whispered huskily, "That's not fair at all."

"Well, what can I say... I was already naked and thinking about you." Bella whimpered, "Now send me something back!"

"Alright, alright. Let me strip first." She put the phone down, but was able to hear Bella ask her to take a picture of herself with her bra and panties on. _'How can I get a full body shot? Rose told me how to do it...what was the word she'd used?'_

She sighed. She'd just take a stupid picture and hope for the best. She brought her phone up over her head, making sure to angle herself and appear sexy. When it clicked, she looked at the picture, happy with her work, and sent it.

"It's on it's way, baby. While you enjoy that, let me take another." Alice giggled, throwing down her panties. She put her phone down and stripped her bra off, standing in her room completely naked. She walked over to her bedroom door and locked it.

She picked her phone up to hear her love moaning in the background.

"Baby, what are you doing?" Alice asked seductively, her golden eyes darkening.

"Imagining your body next to mine." She moaned again, louder this time, and Alice felt warm between her legs. "Oh, baby, I'm about to get really into it."

"I can't wait." The pixie panted as she climbed underneath her sheets, cradling the phone to her ear. She was tempted to put it on speaker, but she knew that would probably be a bad idea.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Monday – One Week Before Surf Comp: Key West<strong>

Isabella Swan had never panicked about something as badly as she had panicked this morning about something that should have been insignificant. It wasn't insignificant to her, though. She crawled out of bed with zombie-like grace, and stumbled toward the bathroom, bumping into the doorway because she'd been looking at her feet as she walked.

She entered the bathroom after rubbing her forehead for a few minutes. With a sigh, she closed the bathroom door and yanked all of her clothes, glaring at herself in the mirror. She gaped then, hands flying to her hip.

Her ink was fading.

_ 'Holy fuck my ink is fading!' _Bella screamed bloody murder before throwing her clothes back on and yanking some shoes on. She grabbed her bag and her keys, and flew down the stairs, clear out the door.

She climbed into her Lamborghini and floored it to an unknown destination.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Aww, my ink is fading." She whined as she laid her finger on the almost gone marks around her belly button. "I wonder if Bella's noticed that the ink's fading. She'll probably want me to redo it once I get back."

"Ali? Did you say something?" Esme poked her head into her daughter's bedroom in curiosity, "Are you hungry yet?"

"No, not yet. I was only...observing and stating that the ink has started to fade." Esme nodded and moved away from the room. Things were still weird between all of them, and with all the doting Esme wished to do to Rosalie and the checkups Carlisle constantly wants to do, the blond's been as cuddly as a shark in water with an injured surfer.

"I miss you." Alice grabbed the box of photos from her dresser and flipped through them, finding one of herself and Bella kissing after a round in the second week of Olympia. It was a picture perfect moment, indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Alright, so have you ever done this before?" The dude with the numerous tattoos and piercings asked as Bella tapped her fingers against the glass display. She had rushed into this place without a second thought, and she would do this without a second thought.

"No. Please, make it memorable for me." She bit her lip, "You don't need to come up with anything, I just want you to trace over something I already have on my body. Jet black ink would be fine."

"Well, if you'll let me see it first, I can tell you if I can trace it the way it is, or if I'll have to redraw it on a transfer and then do it." Bella nodded before pulling up her shirt and pulling down her shorts. It wasn't as faint as it looked earlier, but it was fading. "I can trace it like that."

"Great. Do you think I can have you add a little something to it? A three letter word. It's more of a name...than a word."

"What is it?" He rubbed his nose.

"Ali. A.L.I. Not with a Y." she chuckled. "That's about it."

"I can do that." He nodded, "The whole job will be seventy five dollars."

"Do you want it now or later?" She fiddled with her wallet, and he held up his hand, stopping her. She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Can I ask who Ali is?" He leaned onto the counter, his gray eyes concentrating.

"She's...uh, she's the love of my life. She's the one who drew this on me when she was here." Bella blushed, "You might have heard of her. Alice Cullen of The Cullen Five?"

"I have heard of her." He nodded, "Where is she now?"

"Florida for another...three weeks? They're having another competition there." He pursed his lips before beckoning her over, behind the counter and into the little room that held all of his instruments of temporary torture with permanent results.

"I'm not gonna lie to you and say that this will be pain free..." He said over his shoulder, "But, I think you really love this girl, and you're willing to put yourself through the discomfort to carry a part of her on your body forever."

"I am." She smiled.

"Good." He turned around, holding what looked like a pen in his hand. "Now lean back and relax as best you can. Unbutton your shorts and hold your underwear down so it doesn't get in my way. I'll start from the bottom and work my way up."

"Okay." Bella bit her lip as the fast moving needle bit into her skin.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Can't you guys just leave me alone? I swear, I can't sigh, or sneeze or move without you guys closing in like quicksand!" Alice frowned, "I haven't done anything wrong, so please, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, _fuck off._"

"Alice, please. We just...we want the old Alice back. This new Alice is just so..." Esme bit her lip, searching for the right word mentally, "I don't know what to do with her."

"I would go back to being old Alice if everyone would back off and stop giving me those looks of pity. I don't need your pity. I don't need your sadness, or your sympathy. I don't want it, either." She hissed, "Why don't you go fawn over Rosalie?"

"She doesn't want us fawning over her." She sighed, "I've tried."

"Well, I don't want you fawning over me either. So," The pixie stood up and stormed out of their little villa. "I'm going out."

"Where are you going to go?" Green eyes were worried, "Do you want someone to go with you?"

"NO!" She yelled, flinging the door open before climbing into Rosalie's car and speeding off. It was the closest to her yellow baby she could get.

She drove for a while until she came upon a small place called 'The Cafe' and pulled over. She hadn't eaten yet, and it would be great to be surrounded by strangers. People who most likely did _not _know who she was.

When she walked through the glass doors of the cafe, she took a deep breath and sighed when she could smell the coffee. It smelled great in her opinion, and she couldn't wait to put something in her stomach.

She walked up to the counter and smiled. She looked into her purse to find her wallet when someone came to stand in front of her. She heard a pleasant voice, and glanced up to greet her, when she froze. Deep, chocolate brown eyes looked back at her, a pale face framed by dark mahogany hair. Her heart thumped in her chest, and she almost threw herself over the counter to hug the girl.

She snapped out of it before she could do anything, and backed up, her face paling.

"I-I have to go. Sorry." She spun around and nearly ran into someone on the sidewalk, but ignored them and climbed into the Mercedes. She pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed her sister, crying. Again.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella - Tuesday<strong>

"Damn is this place boring." the brunette commented as she sat on the sofa flipping through the channels. "How did I do this before? Jesus."

"Wish I could go surfing." She bit her lip. "But no. I had to freak out and go get a freaking tattoo. My dad would flip his shit if he saw it. My mom would laugh at me if she ever heard about how I cried."

Bella Swan had actually hugged the tattoo artist. Threw her arms around him and sobbed onto his shirt for almost half an hour. But it was all worth it in the end. He even did the cute little cursive 'Ali' like she'd wanted, and it looked beautiful. She had to stop herself from crying after seeing the finished product. It looked exactly how it had when Alice had done it, and she was glad that the guy knew how to trace.

"Well, I have been using a borrowed board for...A week? Two maybe?" She frowned, "Time to do some research. I want my own board."

She turned the TV off and went up the stairs one at a time until she was in her bedroom. She grabbed her laptop (courtesy of mom) and turned it on. It was silent as sin, and really fast. Bella liked it so much, she didn't give her mom any trouble about her buying it for her.

God, her mom spoiled her rotten.

"Google." She muttered as she clicked onto the internet. It loaded for half a second, and then it was up. "Let's see...I can't use a shortboard yet...because I am nowhere near that level of mad skill... longboard or fish it is."

She searched and searched, but she didn't find much on what she was looking for. She'd have to hit up the surfer shop with Angela for this type of thing. She could do that in a few days. First, she would have to get much better out on the water. Much, much better.

Instead of dwelling on her lack of research findings, she decided to look into something...different. Something very important that she would need once Alice got back. The minute she got back, in fact.

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie<strong>

"Ali?" Rosalie pushed her sister's bedroom door open and found her curled into a ball underneath her blankets. "Oh, Ali..."

She walked over and laid down next to the human fetus and sighed, rubbing her back gently. She didn't say anything after that. She didn't need to, because she already knew what happened. Alice had called her after her run-in with the Bella Clone. She knew it wasn't Bella, though, which was good, because that would have been just...disastrous for everyone.

The girl truly didn't want to leave Bella behind. If she had stayed or Bella had come, she wouldn't be like this. She wouldn't be this...shell, that she was. Alice didn't smile anymore. Not since they'd left, and when she did, it never truly reached her eyes.

It was all Rosalie could do, sit here and comfort her without words. Words made things worse, and never better in situations like this. Alice didn't want words. She didn't want action, either. She wanted one thing, and one thing only. She wanted to be with that little brunette from Forks, Washington.

When the pixie had come home screaming, Esme, confused and more worried than ever, had screamed back at her, saying some things that she really shouldn't have said. Rosalie restrained herself from physically attacking the pixie's mother, but she knew where she was coming from.

She just wanted her baby back. She wanted things to be the way things were before Olympia. When they were a tight knit family unit before, and thought nothing could get between them all. Well, they were wrong. Now the baby of the family was separating herself from her family and didn't even mean to be doing it. She missed her.

She missed her heart. Her soul.

The blond sister was this close to kicking her ass onto a plane and taking her credit cards away so she couldn't pay for a ticket back. But alas, Bella would find a way to send her back. Sometimes, Rosalie felt that Bella may not even want Alice, but she knew Bella. She knew how she felt about the girl, she'd heard things. Seen things and felt things between them that she'd never seen, heard or felt before.

They were meant for each other, but...circumstances were ugly. Especially now. But as soon as this shindig was over, they, The Cullen Five (parents included or not) were going back to Forks. It wasn't like Rosalie could surf anymore, and if anything, they would become The Cullen Boys or something. She knew Alice would never touch another board when they got back.

She sighed and laid her head next to Alice's covered one, pulling it down a little to press a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Wednesday<strong>

"Yo, Bella." Leah grinned as she threw herself down on the floor next to her friend. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" She grinned back, "It's called a puzzle. A form of entertainment created a while back to cure boredom."

"You know, there is something similar to that...it's called surfing." She rolled onto her back, "Why haven't you been out there in the past two days? I've gone, and you never show up."

"Sorry about that. I can't get into the water until tomorrow." Dark chocolates searched for milk chocolates in curiosity. "Got a tattoo. Can't go surfing until it 'heals'. Artist said to wait at least three days. Today is the third day."

"Ooooh? A tattoo? Let me see it." The brunette lifted up onto her knees and pulled her shirt up, exposing her hip with a piece of gauze over it. "Oh, is it the one Ali made you?"

"Yeah. It started to fade, and I panicked, so I drove to the closest tattoo shop and got it redone. Best idea I've ever had, if I'm honest." She smiled proudly, "She's a part of me now."

"I don't know what you're talking about. She's always been a part of you...just a part you yourself couldn't see." The amazon sighed, "Got anything to eat? I'm starving."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

_**"**__...major hurricane warnings for the Olympic area as residents are asked to clear the area. Due to upstanding winds and their location so close to the ocean, officials are worried about the damages that would be done to the area..."_

"Alice?" Edward called to his sister, who was staring at the flatscreen with a blank expression. The only sign to show that she was actually paying attention was her quickly blanching, ashy face. When she didn't answer, he turned back to the flatscreen.

_"..expected to be much worse than the last hurricane, Hugo, that had struck the same area just weeks ago, Hugo having been a category two. Hurricane Irene is predicted to become a category four, before it hits the Olympic area, possibly becoming a category five before nightfall. It is expected to hit Sunday..."_

"Edward?" His head snapped to where his baby sister was sitting, her golden eyes trained on him. She still wore no expression, and it terrified him. What the hell was happening to his sister? She used to be the beams of sunshine in their family. Now she was the freaking rainclouds, drought and black plague of the family. She was depressing. "Can you get me something to drink?"

"What would you like?" He stood up, waiting to see if she would answer him or not.

"Can I...have a juice box? I-I saw that we had some a few days ago...I don't know if Rosie drank them all by now." She sighed, "And if there isn't any, can you make me some chocolate milk? I want some sugar."

"Alright. I'll be right back." _'She needs the sugar because she's probably going into freaking shock!' _He walked to the kitchen stiffly. At least his sister was talking to him...for now.

_"...More on Hurricane Irene on the five o' clock news..."_

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Leah<strong>

"Dude, another freaking hurricane? Can shit get any worse?" Leah frowned, "It's bad enough that my house barely stays on the ground during a category two. But a category four to five? Fuck my life, man."

"You and your family can come here. My dad says that this house has seen category tens before." She chuckled, "Though, I'm not sure it was a hurricane then."

"Yeah, that'll be awesome. More time for us to go over your mad skills, and what you can do to make them better." The amazon groaned, rolling over, still munching on her sandwich, "So what did you do yesterday? More puzzles and boring TV?"

"No, actually. I did research on surfboards." She grinned, "I want to go buy my own."

"Are you serious?" Leah sat up, excited, "Oh, can I go with you to buy one? Please, please?"

"Yeah, but I want to try something out before we go. Do you know anyone with a fish board? I really want to try one." Bella ran her fingers through her hair and looked at her friend, "I don't want to buy one and then really suck on it."

"Fish are great for beginners, just...I would say stay away from shortboards, but I'll take you out tomorrow and you can try one out. It's kinda scary because they go much faster and you have to turn and stuff to keep moving, but I think it would be..an experience...for you. Seth's got an old fish that you can try out, too. Hell, he may even let you keep it." She chuckled at Bella's expression, "I take it you're getting sick of dragging the longboards around?"

"It's getting scary to drive with them sticking out a few feet off the length of the Ghini, yes." Bella fell back onto the floor, grabbing a chip on her way down, "So shorter boards would be better."

"Alright. Then no more longboards for you, missy." Bella sat up so quickly, she almost got vertigo. "You are, from now on, using shorter boards. No more easy times for you."

"But, but! I just started last week!" She blushed, "I can't use a shortboard or anything like that yet! I mean, I've seen you guys out there killing on those things, but-"

"Girl, you've been doing much better than any beginner I've ever seen." the amazon laughed, "Besides, you've had great examples of what to do, and awesome teachers. Your soulmate is a professional. You'll get it. You're a natural."

She paused, looking at the ceiling, "And even if you don't get it, you'll look funnier than hell trying!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! So...a lot of things going on now, huh? Exciting things, too! Thanks for reading and sticking with me. I love you guys. <strong>

**Namaste!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Namaste! Another update. Good night!**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Thursday <strong>

"Alright, you got this babe, don't worry." Seth said as the three of them paddled out. "You had the longboard down. Let's see if you can get the hang of a smaller, harder to use board."

"Okay, Seth. You're gonna scare me, shut up!" Bella turned pink in the face, "It's harder to paddle this thing out."

"Because it doesn't just float around like the longboard did. Now you're working to keep it going." Leah grinned, "You're doing good, rookie!"

"Gee, thanks." The pale brunette huffed, "Finally!" She screamed as they got to a nice, softly rocking area of water. "Now what?"

_FLASH _

"Same principles as before, only with this board," Seth tapped it gently, "You can only ride horizontally. We don't want you to try any kind of going up motion, because you might just flip over forward or something. That's dangerous, so take it in baby steps. No riding on curved waves just yet. Only on the shoulder."

"When you get up on your knees, hold onto the sides of the board, like before, and bring yourself up as fast as you can. That way, you can keep control. Remember. One foot in front of the other, crouched. Feet planted. Arms out. Now, let Seth go first, and then you can go. Angela's on the beach taking pictures and recording so we can go over this later and correct what you do wrong." The amazon looked over to the beach, where Angela surely was, camera flashing like a lightning storm.

"Good luck, rookie." Leah muttered to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Ali, feel like shopping?" Emmett came up to his little sister and smiled. Her face lit up instantly, and she jumped up on him. "So, is that a yes?"

"YES!" She screamed, "We're going to buy you a lot of stuff today. Be prepared!"

Everyone smiled and began to part ways.

"Hey, wait!" Everyone paused, looking at her. "Rosalie, Jasper and Edward, you are coming with us."

The Cullen Five sighed. If it made her happy, they'd do it.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Holy fuck." Leah grinned, "That was great! Almost perfect!"

"I feel almost unnatural." Bella panted as she dropped onto the sand, "I'm dying!"

"I'll say!" Angela chuckled, flipping through her digitally stored photos, "These are amazing. You must have been a true surfing master in like..three previous lives. Now I'm jealous."

"Don't be. I'm gonna be really sore in the morning." Bella bit her lip, "Hell, I think it's kicking in right now, as a matter of fact."

"Well, that's nice and all..." Seth ran a hand through his black hair, "But, Leah, mom said she wanted us home before the sun was going to go down...and..."

"Shit, you're right." Leah cursed, "I'm sorry, Bella, but we have to go. I have things to do tomorrow, will you be okay to chill on your own?"

"I might go over to hang out with her." Angela offered, "I've got a project for her."

"Oh, that's even better than my idea." Leah nodded thankfully, and turned tail, "Put that fish on the roof of the car. Twenty bucks it'll still scare you."

"Don't jinx me!" Bella yelled, the sand muffling her noise. "Crap. I can't feel my legs. Are they still attached to me?"

"Yep. Still there." Angela laughed and sat next to her friend, "So, your a surfer now."

"Seems that way sometimes...but not all the time. I feel like I don't even deserve this. Bumping up the skill chain in less than two weeks...damn unnatural." the brunette pressed her lips into a thin line, "So what's my project?"

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow when I stop by. I am guessing you already heard about the hurricane?" Nod. "Well, everyone wants to hang out and watch movies on our laptops. You can come if you want."

"I was having Leah and Seth over. You guys can totally crash with us." Bella offered, and Angela nodded, "It's probably the safest place, aside from the rental mansion, in Forks."

"Perfect!" She giggled. "Well, I'm sorry, Bella, but for your project tomorrow, I have to go home now and get it ready for you. Will you be okay out here by yourself?"

"Yeah. I'll be heading home in a few minutes, too. I just...want to be out here to think." the black-haired girl nodded and spun around, going to her old white car and driving off. When she was alone, Bella sat up and brushed sand off her body as best as she could. "Hey Lord."

"I know I haven't...talked to you in a while...I apologize. You're still my best friend, even though things aren't going the way I thought they would. It would appear...that you've given me a gift of sorts. It's amazing. I love surfing, I love being in the water that you made with your own hands." She sighed, leaning back on the heels of her hands, "I thought back to when the ocean stole me away when I was a child. I thought a lot about it, and figured out some things. I figured that you didn't do that to make me fear the water. I think you did that so I could be more aware of it. It's depths, it's colors...and it's ability to take life if not taken seriously."

"Thank you for making me aware of it. I'm not afraid of it anymore. I respect it. It almost took my Alice. In a way, it has. But I don't blame her or the ocean or you. I blame myself, over all of it. I should have never... I thought that pushing her away from me would make things better in the long run, that I would never and could never belong in her world. I thought that she wasn't meant for my world...but now that I can see...I don't have a world. I live in your world, and Alice lives in your world. It was a mistake to let her go...but I will see her soon enough, I know."

"I thank you for the many blessings you've placed on my life. I thank you for my life, and for the people in it. Amen."

Bella touched the sand with her long fingers and smiled. She looked out into the water and loved the way the moon touched it, swayed it to it's whims. Much like the way Alice could sway her. She could have never pulled Alice away from something so...amazing. She'd hate it if anyone would try to take her away from it.

* * *

><p><strong>Esme<strong>

"Is she asleep now?" Rosalie asked the matriarch as they stood outside of Alice's bedroom door. "She's been up on her feet since this morning."

"Yeah, she's out cold. She even had a smile on her face." The mother chuckled, "She even asked for a hug before she knocked out."

"Good. I was...well, I'm sure everyone was worried about her..." The blond sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Maybe things will look up from here. I hope everything does."

"Oh, did you hear? Your cousins are in town, and the Volturi group are here for the competition." Esme frowned, her green eyes troubled. "You five never got on with the Volturi..."

"The Denali girls are here, I'm not too worried. They can join up with us and we'll let them leave with the trophy. I doubt we even want to really remember this competition..." Rosalie placed her hands on her stomach, "And since I'm not surfing anymore, they'll need another member. There's only three of them, so it'll be great to join teams. Finally be neck and neck with the damn Volturi."

"Alright...well, we can talk more tomorrow." Esme patted her daughter's cheek, "I have clothes to wash before bed. Good night."

"Night." The blond walked to her shared bedroom and snuggled in with her husband, who passed out on the way home from shopping. It took a lot out of him.

Esme went to the laundry room to finish folding some clothes, when her husband stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Oh? Darling?" She giggled, "What are you doing?"

"Having some quiet time with my wife, is what." He smiled, leaning forward and capturing her sweet lips in a kiss, "I love you."

"I love you, too." She snuggled into him.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday <strong>

"Alright!" Angela sat Bella down at the kitchen table and looked at her square in the eye, "Do you have a photo album?"

"With or without pictures in it?" She smiled a little. Bella had a thing for photo albums. "Because I have both."

"Without." She brought a finger to her chin, "Preferably a pretty one."

"I've got just the thing." Bella stood up and ran up the stairs, crashing into her bedroom door. She pushed it open and walked to her bed, pulling out a box that was under it. There was only three empty photo albums in it, and she picked the one she had in mind. It was a pure silver one that her mother had given her for her last birthday, and it had engraved flowers all over it, with a big square in the middle where a main picture would go. She picked it up and brought it down with her, placing it gently on the table.

Angela looked at it and nodded in approval.

"That is a nice one." She winked, "Now, get to work." She produced a card-stock box from her bag and put it down on top of the photo album, "And have fun."

"Err...okay." Bella sat down and waved to Angela as she walked out the door and left. "Well, that was kinda weird. Let's see."

She pulled open the tab and pulled out a thick stack of photos. She looked at the very first one, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest. It was a picture of Alice.

"Ali." She smiled hugely, "These are pictures of Ali."

She flipped through more of them and laughed, "There's Emmett and Edward...Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle...Jasper and Alice...Even some of Holmes? How long was she taking these pictures? A cute shot of Violet..."

She placed all of them on the kitchen table and covered her face as she cried. Such good memories! Great memories...

"Now, to get started." She picked up one of she and Alice kissing, and put it as the cover picture. Then, she went from there.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Hey, I'm going to walk Violet! Anyone want to come with me?" Emmett was the first to jump to his feet and grin at her. She giggled and motioned for him to come along. "She's getting too hyper to wait much longer!"

Violet, said hyper puppy, was jumping around in a circle at the front door, barking that she wanted out. Alice clipped her leash on her and when she opened the door, the puppy shot out, nearly taking the girl with her. "Whoa, Vi! Slow down!"

Emmett laughed at them and ran to catch up. By the time Violet had slowed down, kids were wanting to pet her and adults kept asking where she'd gotten her. She said from Washington, and they all just told her, 'She's far away from home, then.' and Alice couldn't agree more.

"Well! If it isn't Alice Cullen and Emmett Cullen." A familiar voice made Alice stop and look, and she just moved closer to her brother, pulling Violet with her. "Oh, come on. We aren't that scary."

"She isn't scared of you. She just hates that you both come on to her." Emmett pointed out, "Now, if you'll excuse us."

"Wait," The blond girl commanded, which made the both of them flinch, and Violet bark. "I just wanted to say that I hope you bring all of your game, because we're going to win this thing."

"Yeah, right." Alice smiled condescendingly, "You haven't won against us ever. What makes you think you can do it this year?"

"Oh, the fact that your sister withdrew from the competition, along with reports of Alice Cullen having mental breakdowns and publicly embarrassing outbursts?" The boy of the two cackled, "You aren't really in it to win it, are you, Cullen?"

"Yeah, we'll hear you saying that when we beat you out doubling your score." Alice hissed, "Where were you for the S.C.:Olympia, huh? Did daddy not let you go? Aww."

"Father knew what would happen if we would go there. He didn't want us in too close quarters with you or those stupid La Push Mutts. Don't even get me started with the Traveling Stooges." The girl scowled, "We would have won that one, too. We heard about your little accident. It's unfortunate, really, that you didn't drown. The world would be better without you, Mary Alice Cullen."

"It's a shame that your umbilical cords didn't strangle the both of you in your mother, Jane and Alec Volturi." The pixie bent down to pet her puppy, who was growling at the twins. "But, everything happens for a reason, right? I was born to win, you were born...well, to _not win. _That's just the way it is."

"Ali Cullen," Another familiar voice sounded then, and Alice spun around screaming, throwing her arms around the girl's neck, "That is no way to speak to the world's most notorious sore losers."

"Kate Denali, mind your own business!" Jane hissed, "You...!"

"Hi, Janie!" The taller blond girl giggled, "How are you?"

"Don't call me Janie!" Her blue eyes narrowed before lightening up, "Oh, by the way, how is your mother? Oh yeah, she drowned. I forgot."

"You bitch!" Alice was going to jump at her, but Kate held her back with a frown.

"Whoa, dude, low blow." Emmett glared at the little blond.

"I'm not going to apologize because her mother was stupid enough to go out during a freaking tsunami. What was she thinking, huh?" Jane laughed, "'I'm a crazy bitch!' Is what!"

"Can't stop her now." Kate threw her hands up, and Alice slammed into Jane, her fist cracking hard against the girl's slightly tanned face, the blond's hands flying to grab Alice's black hair and pull it. Alice growled against the blond's hold, and head-butt her really hard.

Emmett grabbed his sister and lifted her above his head, glaring at Alec, "Control your sister!"

"She isn't my pet. I don't control her." He shrugged. "But I suppose that Alice would be like a pet to you. She's so little and helpless."

"Hey, Alec." He turned to Kate, who cocked her fist back and nailed him right in his eye. He cried and fell backward, glaring at her while tears ran down his cheeks. "Don't talk about Alice like that."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"There." The brunette held her photo album up, admiring it, before crushing it to her chest. Whenever she felt sad or depressed, she would open this big book of memories, and cherish them, thus, bringing her spirit up. "Now, I will always remember."

"Is that what you did today?" A voice sounded from behind Bella. She spun around and had the goofiest grin on her face. "Or did you manage to actually make it away from the kitchen table?"

"Nope. Sat on my ass here all day." She beamed, placing her photo album on the table, "Want to see it? I fell in love all over again."

"Yeah, let me take a look." charlie sat next to his daughter and looked at the front cover, "That's adorable."

"Thanks. My friend Angela took all of the pictures. I didn't even know she'd been following us around with a camera most of the time. I suppose she was acting like a spy or paparazzi in secret. She gave me these this morning, and told me to put them in a nice photo album." Bella blushed, "She got some pretty great shots."

"That means she's good." He winked, "Nothing too bad, I hope."

"Oh, anything she did catch that was bad I already weeded out and burned." She laughed, "But, I did leave some pretty risque things in there. Don't freak out when you run past one."

"I won't. You're an adult now." He leaned closer as he flipped through the pages, his daughter explaining what had happened in each one. He loved this. Being close to his daughter was nice, especially since she'd withdrawn herself before the competition, and even more after it. It was a great change of pace for the two of them.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Saturday <strong>

"That was great, Bella!" Seth cheered, "I think you may just be better than me!"

"I don't think so...but thanks for the compliment all the same." She giggled, "God, I feel so giddy. What's with all the stoke I feel out here? Its almost like a high!"

"It is a high. It's a surfer's high." The boy smiled proudly, "Almost like how runners get their 'runner's high', we get 'surfer's high'."

Bella looked at the water and frowned, thinking back to when the Orcas were in the water, swimming with The Cullen Five. What were the chances of something like that happening again?

"Hey, Seth." the boy looked over at her in response to his name being called. "What are the chances of a shark attack? Or being raped by a dolphin?"

"The chances of rape via dolphin out here are very...very slim. They don't like to swim up here. It's too cold for them, though there was that one that got lost in the Puget Sound. He's probably the only one. A shark attack...now, that happening here is less rare than getting raped by a dolphin...but we haven't had a shark attack here in a few years. When they do attack, they don't kill us. One bite, and they know we aren't seals." He shrugged. "At least, I am not a seal."

"What about the Orcas?" She pursed her lips. "Those were here."

"Yeah, they're whales. They go where they want. Anyway, that isn't as rare as you think. They're here often, if you're around for it. There hasn't been an fatal orca attack here. So, don't worry. They, also, scare the sharks away." He crossed his arms over his chest, "You planning to get eaten out here or something?"

"No..." She shook her head, "Just insanely curious."

"Makes sense." He patted the water, "You'd want to know about family."

"Family?" She laughed, "What?"

"Yeah. You want to know about your distant, crazy cousins the sharks, and your horny second cousins, the dolphins, and your big time CEO aunts and uncles, the whales." He grinned, "Family. You also share the ocean with these guys."

"I suppose you're right." She nodded, "Sounds about right."

The boy stiffened, and was about to say something under his breath, but thought against it, and decided not to. "Jacob's here."

"Really?" Bella couldn't find it in her to care, really. She was in the ocean, she didn't give a rats ass about him at this point. "That's..cool, I guess."

"You aren't mad at him anymore?" Seth looked shocked. "He hurt Alice, and could have killed her. You remember that, don't you?"

"Of course I remember it, Seth." She snapped, "But, I don't want to ruin my high by being pissed off about something that won't change. It's in the past, I'm pretty sure Alice is over it. If it wasn't for him, we would have never actually gotten together as quickly as we did."

"Hey, Bella...what are you doing out here?" Jacob snorted, "And on a surfboard?"

"Aren't you going to apologize?" She glared.

"Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his neck as he sat up on his board. "I'm really sorry..about what I did to Alice. I didn't mean to kill her or anything, but I guess my intentions mean crap next to my actions. I really am sorry. I just left the jail last night."

"Okay." Bella frowned, "But don't think we're cool. Because we aren't. Though, I will, however, ignore what happened so it won't put a damper on my day."

"What are you doing out here, though?" Jacob looked over at Seth, who never stopped glaring at him. He'd adored Alice, and wanted to seriously skeg Jacob for what he did.

"What does it look like?" She laughed, "Enjoying the waves."

"Wha?" He blushed, "But you hate the ocean."

"No, not anymore. I understand it now. I respect it. I love it. And I certainly won't fuck with it at any point in the future." She looked over at Seth, "Ready? Because I totally am."

"Then let's hit it." He chuckled, making them push off into the next set of waves. "Later, Jake."

Jacob's eyes nearly bugged out of his eyes at the sight of Bella Swan, the Main-Lander, surfing the waves like she'd been doing it for years. What the hell?

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Morning, Surfer-Ali!" A trio of blond girls flew into the living room, dogpiling on the tiny pixie, who squealed and laughed when they began to tickle her, "So I heard you almost turned into a mini Mike Tyson yesterday."

"I didn't bite anyone." She puffed her cheeks, her golden eyes light, "Though, I may have been seconds away from getting her nose."

"That's why Emmett pulled you off of her." The tallest blond giggled, "So, Ali..."

She turned her curious amber gaze to her oldest cousin, Tanya.

"What's this we hear of you falling in love? Do tell us!" Tanya was a diehard romance enthusiast. Nobody could turn her away from love. Nobody. "Your family gave us no other indications! I simply must know!"

"Y-Yes, I am in love." Alice blushed darkly, "H-Her name is Bella."

"Where is she?" Irina raised a brow, obviously thinking she'd made 'Bella' up. "What else is there to know about her?"

"She's about five foot four, chocolate brown eyes and mahogany hair. Beautiful, pale, not at all athletic. She defended me against other surfers, and is just the most amazing girl in this universe. She also saved me from drowning. Jumped into the ocean, pulled me out and performed CPR, even though she was deathly afraid of the ocean." Alice felt her heart thump wildly in her chest, "Where is my mother?"

"She's out with Carlisle." Kate answered quickly, glancing around. "Now spill."

"She gave me the best orgasms I have ever had in my entire life!" The tiniest surfer shouted, "God, I thought I was on my way to Heaven on a chariot ever single time!"

"Mmmm...so the sex was good?" Irina grinned.

"Better than that! It was phenomenal! I mean, my toes curled with every _touch_." Golden eyes darkened slightly, "All this talking has got me worked up."

"Whoa!" Kate pulled her sisters off Alice just in time for the pixie to jump off the sofa and run up the stairs to her bedroom, the door slamming shut. "You know what _she's_ gonna do now!"

"Aww, little Ali has fallen in true love! Soulmates! Adore!" Tanya spun in a circle, "Oh, praise the high heavens for her! Lord, sprinkle and shower blessings on her love, this Bella!"

"Oh god." Kate palmed her forehead. Three times. "We just had to get her started, right?"

"Well, this just means that there's a wedding to be planned!" Irina fist pumped as she dropped to one knee, "We need Esme and Rosalie here. Now!" She pointed at Kate, "Call them to me at once!"

"You too?" Kate frowned, "This is Alice's life, not yours!"

"Shut up and do it!" The blond hissed, "Or face the wrath of IRINA!"

"Dear lord." She sighed and turned away from her sisters, "Why did you pod me with idiots?"

"We can still hear you!" Irina shouted at her green eyed sister, "Envy-eyes!"

"SHUT UP!" Kate shouted back, arms in the air. "I WILL SERIOUSLY HURT YOU!"

"TRY IT! I DARE YOU!" Irina was on her feet now, blue eyes blazing. "COME ON BABY KATE, DO SOMETHING! HURT ME!"

"DENALI SISTERS, SHUT UP!" Jasper was standing on the stairs, "I'm sorry, but you are being much too loud for our peaceful, quiet little villa. so...shut up."

The three of them nodded and turned to look at each other, the three of them bursting out in tears of laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Hey, dad. Need some help?" Bella asked as she looked up at her father, who was nailing thick sheets of wood over her bedroom windows, "Because I have heard that I am handy with a hammer."

"No, no...just make sure there's room in the house for our visitors." He chuckled, "Since you'll have what...ten people in your bedroom?"

"Eight, actually. Sue is going to stay with someone else from the reservation, and everyone else's parents are staying home." Bella sighed, "The boys are sleeping downstairs, though."

"Of course. I'm already getting out the foot mines." He sighed, hammering down harder on the wooden boards, "Have you talked to Alice? She's probably freaking out about the hurricane coming."

"Yeah, I talked to her...earlier." Bella blushed darkly, covering her cheeks with her hands, her eyes trained on the floor, "She was definitely worried about us, but I promised her that during the storm I'd talk to her on the phone. She said she's having a lot of fun in Florida."

"They're in Florida?" He sighed, "Wish we could afford to go to Florida for even a few days. Your old pops could use a vacation."

"Maybe we'll go next summer. Stay there a month." She leaned against the house, the wood vibrating as her father beat on it with his trusty hammer, "Do we need to get anything from the store? I could go buy it. I stocked up for the hurricane the day I'd heard about it, but we need things like bread and milk."

"Well, you'd best hop on that. I'd hate for us to have no milk for cereal in the morning of a hurricane." Charlie chuckled, "Have a good trip!"

"Oh, dad, I forgot...what about my car?" the two of them looked at each other, and then to the sleek, black Lamborghini that was sitting in the driveway.

"Great question." He thought about it for a second, "Your mom bought insurance, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if it covers anything like natural disasters." She frowned, "I'll look over the papers again, but I definitely want you to put a tarp over it when I get back."

"Alright. Be careful!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Sunday <strong>

_"We have live footage of the hurricane that is terrorizing the Olympic area taken by satellite and some people who are waiting out the storm." - _Trees were blowing harshly, some of them bending down horizontally and falling onto houses, some of them losing their roots entirely. The winds were harsh against everything, pushing trashcans and other untied items back and forth. Roof shingles were ripped from their places, and some cars could be seen parked haphazardly as people tried to get out of the storm. The satellite images showed the big part of the hurricane simply **eating **the land it was crawling onto.

_"Look, guys! Look!" _Alice was intrigued as she watched the live feed from the window of someone's home. The yard looked suspiciously familiar. _"Whoa! That tree's gonna come down on that house!"_

A vision of the tree indeed falling on the house was terrifying. The people filming were screaming, and the camera shuffled for a few seconds, _"My neighbors were staying indoors! I gotta go over there!"_

_"I'll go with you!" _Three male voices came on in the background as you could hear them run from the room they were in. The camera panned out to view the sky, and the original girl's voice came on, _"Filming live from Forks, Washington, this was Angela Weber. We've got another live feed from First Beach coming on in Five. Four." _At this point, everyone sitting in the living room could see a feminine figure run across the storming street, followed by three boys, bursting into the neighbors house and going in, _"Three. Two. One. CLICK."_

There was nobody speaking for this feed, but the camera panned out and swiveled around, so someone had to be operating it. It was hell on earth there, by the looks of it.

"Please tell me that at least one of you knew that was Bella running across the street." Esme's hands were over her mouth. "That I am not going crazy, because I swear that was her."

"Yeah, I think I'm too in shock to really..." Emmett crossed his arms over his chest, eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

"I can't even be mad at her right now." Rosalie burst out laughing, "She's still being a hero!"

"Can't persecute her for that." Edward hugged his boyfriend, "Though, we can hamstring her for not being careful. Doesn't she know that hail can kill her?"

"She probably hadn't thought of that. Who knew that Angela would be the one with the only live feed from Forks and La Push?" Jasper grinned, "I figured that they'd all have abandoned ship."

"Yeah, right." Rosalie grinned back at him, "No way they'd leave. That's their town."

"That's right." Emmett was proud of the Main-Lander, though he was a little upset at her still. He'd get shots in when they went back to visit after this coming competition. "Dude, the waves there after the hurricane are gonna be wicked."

"Shit, I'm jealous." Edward frowned, "Nothing but paddle-boarding here. No real _waves_."

"Sure, they aren't real waves, but you can still get hurt out there." Carlisle smiled, "So, no thinking that being out there is just a joke. Lots of sea life that can hurt you, and then the coral reef isn't a joke either. High chance of infection with that."

"None of us are gonna get an infection. Hell, we won't even graze the reef." Jasper kissed his boyfriend's cheek sweetly, "Will we, honey?"

"Nope. Not a one." Edward chuckled, "You are too cute."

"Alice?" Everyone looked at the pixie, who was crying. The first time she'd actually seen her live, and she was on TV doing something heroic but stupid.

"I-I want Skype!" She wailed, "I want it NOW!"

"Where is your laptop, sweetheart?" Rosalie moved to kneel in front of her crying little sister, "Can you tell me?"

"B-Bedroom. Floor." She whimpered, rubbing her eyes.

"I'll get it." Emmett stood up to get it, snapping to his bronze haired brother, "Call Bella and make sure she's got a Skype account. If she doesn't tell her to get one. As soon as possible."

"I'm on it."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"Hello?" The brunette panted as she attempted to wring water from her hair and clothes, "Edward? To what do I owe this call?"

_"Well, if I can be frank, you literally were on live television running across your street to rescue your neighbor." _Edward sighed, _"You freaked us all out, but we can't even...be mad. It's like its in your genes or something."_

"You guys saw that?" She shrilled, glaring at the ceiling, "_ANGELA!"_

_"Don't get mad at her. You were the one running across the street without proper...anything! A helmet would have been great. Hail can kill you. Alice is absolutely freaking out. She's demanding a Skype session with you. So you'd best get your ass to your laptop. Please tell me you have an account already. Please." _The bronze haired brother pleaded with her. Of course she had one.

"I have a hair-brained mother who likes to talk to people face to face. Of course I have one." She sighed, running up the stairs to her bedroom where everyone seemed to be congregated, "Get out! Angela, you got me into trouble just now."

"Oh? How did I do that?" She looked puzzled, "I was just showing the storm, and then I switched off to the La Push feed."

"Yeah, well, your hand slipped I guess while you were switching feeds, because THE CULLENS are on the phone with me. They saw us running across the street!" Angela burst out laughing, her eyes tearing up. "It's totally not funny! Alice is freaking out! She's probably crying and gonna yell at me! Now go downstairs, I have to talk to the love of my life now!"

They all made hooting noises as they filed out and down the stairs.

She turned her laptop on and praised God for her internet. She turned on her Skype and sat it down on her desk, sitting in front of it.

"Edward? I'm on." Bella bit her lip. She'd never Skyped with Alice before...why hadn't she? Oh yeah, because the less contact she had with her, the less it hurt to be away from her.

_"Great. The email account is PixieCullen14." _Bella snickered at the email address. Dude. _"Don't laugh, she made it when she was thirteen."_

"Why is it fourteen, then?" She asked while still laughing.

_"She was a week away from being fourteen, and she wanted 'the world' to know she was turning fourteen." _He chuckled lightly, _"Well, wait a minute, and then call for a video chat. She's cleaning herself up a little before talking to you. Be prepared, she was yelling a few minutes ago."_

"Thanks for the warning, Eddie." She sighed, "Bye."

_"Bye." _Click.

'Fuck, now I'm in trouble.' The brunette sighed, her head falling backwards, 'What did I ever do to deserve this?'

She brought her head back up and clicked 'Call Alice'. It rang three times before Alice answered, and her face appeared on her screen. God, it was like she was right there!

"Ali! Hey baby!" Bella was so excited to see her, it was almost retarded.

"BELLA!" Alice's face had been blotchy from her crying, but she looked far from crying again when she had first accepted the call. That all changed in an instant, "Baby!"

"How are you? It's so good to see your face, Ali-baby, you're so beautiful." Bella wanted to reach a hand out to touch her face, but she knew she wouldn't really touch her face. Just a picture of her face. She reached out anyway, and touched the curve of her cheek, frowning when her fingers couldn't dip into the shadows. "I miss you so much, baby."

"I miss you too." Tears streamed down her cheeks freely now, and she rubbed at them until her face was bright red. "God, I fucking miss you. What the hell were you doing, running across the street during a hurricane? Was it not enough for me to go out and find you during one and take you home with me? Or did I risk our lives for nothing?"

"Baby, please, don't cry or be upset at me!" The brunette's chest tightened, "Please, baby, I love you and I hate to see you so upset. You know I can't survive seeing you in tears."

"Well, I've been in tears since we left." She admitted quietly, "I wasn't even allowed to drive the rest of the trip after I pulled over about ten miles away from your house."

"Baby, you...? Why? I thought...no, I know that you love surfing, baby." Bella frowned, "And I love that you love it. I know you love me, too, but I wanted you to go have fun with your family, not suffer the whole time while you were away!"

"You _knew _I wasn't going to be happy, Bella! You sent me away, even after I said that I loved you and would give it all up for you! You didn't want me to stay! You never wanted me to stay!" She wailed, burying her face in her tiny hands. "And now look at us! I can't even go out in public because every brunette I see looks just like you! My family can't even mention your name without me crying or screaming or fighting with them. I'm a mess, Bella, and you don't even know!"

"Baby, I can clearly see that we've made a mistake here, and I'm really sorry that you've had to go through all of this on your own..." Bella hadn't realized that she'd made a mistake by saying what she just did.

"I've been suffering alone?" She looked up, her golden eyes hurt and confused. "So...you...don't miss me? Is all of this heartache and pain...one sided? Is that what your saying?"

"No, no!" Bella huffed, "Of course not, Alice, you know that I miss you!"

"Then, why would you say that I was going through all of this on my own? Have you not cried while I've been away?" She whimpered, getting ready to go into another bout of crying.

"Yes, Baby! I have! Every day! Every night, hell, even while I've been asleep!" Bella's chocolates teared up, "Don't ever think that I don't miss you, baby. I love you. You know that I do. I've said it...a million and one times already."

"Say it again." The pixie pleaded, "Again, Bella."

"I love you. I love you. I love you, god, I love you!" She looked on her desk and found a white sheet of paper and dug through her drawer for a pink marker. She uncapped it and quickly wrote something down. She looked at Alice and took a deep breath. Should she show it to her? There was no way she was going to refuse... "You know I love you, right?"

"I just heard you say it twenty times...so yes." She giggled, wiping at her eyes, "What did you just write down? A note for later?"

"Actually...yes." Bella chuckled, snagging another piece of paper before writing down a few words. She looked at it, cocked her head, smiled, and scrawled some more. She looked up then and locked eyes with Alice, who wasn't crying anymore. Her face was still bright red, though. "You can see this one, baby."

"Then show it to me." She blinked, and Bella held up the paper in front of her face. _'Three, two, one...'_ "AWWWW! I love you too, baby! Will you save that for me? I want to put it in my memory box when I see you again."

"How about I keep a special memory box here with me? That way when you see me, I can just hand you the whole box and you can go through it?" Bella put the paper down and folded it over twice, laying it flat on her desk. The other paper she grabbed and folded quickly, sticking it into her desk drawer and out of sight.

"You would do that for me, love?" The pixie was near tears again. "God, I feel like such a sap! I can't stop crying!"

"It's liquid emotion." The brunette sighed, and leaned forward closer to her laptop, "I love that you cry so much. Not the type of crying that means negativity, but the kind that means your happy."

"Which hasn't been often lately." She bit her lip, "I'm sorry for freaking out earlier. I mean, I haven't been having the best time, and then I got in trouble for fist fighting-"

"Fist fighting?" Bella placed her hands on her cheeks, "Mary Alice! You've been fighting?"

"What's the problem? You fought all the time when we were back in Forks, why can't I?" The tiny surfer pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because I was not surfing the competition and you were! I can't get disqualified from something like that, and you can!" Bella wasn't happy with Alice. Not one bit. "What have you got to say for yourself, ma'am?"

"I was defending my cousin." She huffed, "The other girl had made a jab about her mother. She drowned a year ago while surfing."

"Oh...that's really low." Bella blinked a few times, "Never mind. I hope you got the bitch good."

"I did. And then my cousin defended me against a boy, and she knocked him right on his eye!" She feigned knocking herself on the eye, "He cried!"

"Good. I probably would have had him hospitalized." The brunette chuckled, "So, what have you been up to?"

"I haven't been up to very much...just taking care of Violet and hanging out with Rosalie. She's pregnant!" Alice gushed, her cheeks pinking, "Oh, I'm so excited for her!"

"Wow! Really? When you guys come back here, I'll call my mom to come check up on her. How does that sound?" Bella grinned, "So, I take it that she was pregnant when she was here?"

"Yeah, but we didn't figure it out until we were on the road." She sighed, "It's been hard...being with my family, but things are getting better. I smile a whole lot more now. I even hugged my mother! But I know that things will be amazing when we're back in Washington. When I am back."

"I know it, baby." Chocolate eyes sparkled, "Oh? You remember Louis?"

"How could I forget the girl who was between us for almost two whole weeks? The girl who kept you from kissing me countless times?" She snorted, "The one who hit you, cheated on you, and made you feel bad all the time?"

"Well, turns out she has a weird mental thing going on. She's on medication, and she's been getting therapy. She's actually really nice now, and she doesn't say creepy things, or cry randomly anymore." The main-lander-surfer laughed, "She actually said a joke earlier that I laughed at, but I can't remember it."

"Well..I suppose I'm happy for her. As long as she's not trying to take my woman away." The pixie smiled, "Because my woman's all mine. Oh, order the competition on cable if you want to see it. It starts tomorrow."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I'm tired. Hope you enjoyed it, and leave me a love note. I do like those.<strong>

**Namaste!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Namaste! Well, I am running out of things to post up...pretty soon, you'll have to wait again. Awww. You'll live, I'm sure. Anyway, have a good read.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Cullen Five and The Power of Three – Surfing Competition: Key West – Day 1<strong>

"Well, looks like that eighteen wheeler followed us." Emmett pursed his lips, running a big hand through his dark, curly hair. "How that thing got here is a great question."

"Hopefully we won't have that one guy that hates us show up." Edward laced his fingers with his boyfriend's, "I'd hate to have a repeat of that out here."

"There was a DJ that hated you guys?" Kate's green eyes widened, "You guys are the best surfers out there. Why would he hate you?"

"Rose didn't want to have sex with him." Alice giggled, "Anyway, let's go find everyone and get our lineup situated. Bella's going to be watching us on TV!"

"Really? Then we'd better surf our best, don't you think?" Jasper chuckled, "Especially you, Alice. She wants to see you fly out on the waves."

"Of course I'm going to fly out on the waves! I'm going to totally own!" She pumped her fist in the air, "My baby is going to be proud of me for sure!"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"It doesn't start airing until noon, so we've got until noon!" Bella shouted as she pulled up her board shorts, "I'm going to ride those damn waves! Even if it kills me!"

"They're going to be stronger than you've ever surfed, Bella." Her amazonian friend shouted to her from the other side of her bedroom door. It was open, but she was leaning against the wall on the other side of it. "Are you sure you want to?"

"Of course I want to." She laughed, running out of her bedroom barefoot, "Let's hit it!"

Their footsteps sounded like a stampede as they raced for the Lamborghini.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"We aren't starting until noon?" The pixie pouted then, "How boring! We showed up here at six o' clock in the morning for nothing? Why are we starting at noon, anyway?"

"Princess Jane likes to sleep in." Rosalie frowned, "Aro would do anything for little Jane, even push back a surfing competition by almost six hours."

"Seems like it." Tanya whined, "It's so boring here! Even then, this isn't exciting surfing!"

"I hear that!" Emmett rumbled, "I didn't come out here for paddle-boarding! I came here for surfing without a stick!"

"Surfing here without a stick will be near impossible." Irina threw her head back and howled, "HOW BORING!"

"Dude, let's just ditch." Kate whistled, flicking her white blond hair over her shoulder like Rosalie has a habit of doing, only on the opposite side. "We can just hit up Fiji or something. Hell, the Bahamas are less than three hours away. We can take a speedboat over there."

"We can't just leave." Edward, the voice of reason, chimed, "The Volturi are here, and are looking for a challenge. They won't take kindly to us leaving without at least trying first."

"I guess your right." Kate grumbled, "Stupid bronze haired gay boy."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it!" Leah laughed, high fiving Bella as they paddled back out to calmer waters, "How in the hell are you so freaking talented? I'm this close to calling myth-busters! I swear I am!"

"Oh, no. I wouldn't like all the attention." She chuckled, "I'd probably refuse to surf in front of them."

"If you don't like attention, how do you expect to deal with it when Alice comes back? People are going to wonder why she is back in Washington, and when they find out, they'll swarm all over you." The amazon frowned, "And you told me that you wanted to marry her? They'll be rabid over you then."

"I try not to think that far ahead." The brunette sighed, "It's almost noon, one last go, and then we have to get back."

Leah nodded as they pushed out onto the next couple of waves, Bella slicing through the curve easily and bringing her board back in the opposite direction, hand grasping the edge of it before swinging it around on the water, sending a splash of it upward.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Hey, Alice." The pixie turned when her name was called and faced a redheaded girl with the oddest blue eyes she'd ever seen. It didn't go well together, in Alice's opinion. Ah, maybe it was because she was partial to brunettes with chocolate brown eyes? That could be it. "Nice surfing out there. You showed some pretty awesome skills that I can find time to admire."

"Gee, thanks." Alice chuckled, "Enjoy the show."

"Oh, I most certainly will." She winked, turning around with a swing of her hip. She flicked her thick red curls over her shoulder and sauntered away. Alice snorted and turned away from where the girl was walking.

When she reached her family, feet digging in the white sand, Emmett grinned.

"Just can't keep away from the ladies, huh, sis?" The big bear crossed his arms over his chest, leaning slightly against his wife, who was frowning at her.

"Yeah, what was that about?" The blond looked incredibly irritated at the show the redhead had put on. "Because I'd really like to know."

"I don't even know who she was. She just called me and told me that I did good." Alice shrugged, "Besides, I didn't even give her the time of day. She just turned right back around and walked away. I don't care."

"Good. Because I won't have you throwing Bella-bear away like week-old ham!" Emmett shouted, "I already like her too much."

"So even if I, hypothetically, didn't want to be with her anymore, you would keep her around with us?" The tiny surfer raised a brow, her expression changing once she'd finished the words. She looked as if she'd chewed on a bitter bug, her face screwed up and she stuck her tongue out.

"Did your tongue burn just saying those words?" Edward chuckled, poofing his hair with his fingers and turning his green eyes to his boyfriend who was snickering.

"Yeah, it did." She giggled, "I could never not want Bella. That's just impossible. She's too amazing for something like that to ever happen."

"That, and that girl totally thought she was hot shit." Kate slapped Jasper's back in a friendly way, "Which she totally wasn't!"

"Yeah, I," Alice's eyes widened when a loud jingle reached their ears. She raced for her bag and fumbled around for it. When she pulled it out, everyone laughed at the song.

_**'Baby, baby, baby, If you really want me, Honey get some patience, Maybe then you'll get a taste. I'll be tasty, tasty, I'll be laced with lacey. It's so tasty, tasty, It'll make you crazy.'**_  
>"Well, if that isn't Bella, I would be confused." Emmett guffawed, "I remember that day!"<p>

"Honey, I think everyone remembers that day." Rosalie kissed his cheek, throwing her arms around his neck, "At least, I think they do."  
>'<em><strong>T to the A, to the S T E Y - girl, you're tasty, T to the A to the S T E Y - girl, you're tasty, D to the E, to the,'<strong>_ Alice flipped her phone open and beamed at her siblings, "Hey gorgeous!"

_"Hey, baby. How do you always know its me when I call? I swear it only rings twice before you answer it!" _Bella greeted, _"I was watching you a few minutes ago, I gotta say baby, I think I love you in the blinding light of the sun."_

"You were watching me? Really?" Her beaming grew so bright, Rosalie discreetly pulled her sunglasses down on her face. "Was I doing good today? I wasn't sure if I was or not."

_"You are always great. How's your foot, though? I saw that you stumbled onto the sand, and I was worried about you." _The brunette bit her lip on her end of the phone. _"You should be a little more careful, the waves don't look too rough for that kind of exit, baby."_

"I'm sorry...I was just really excited to see if you would call me is all." Alice lied, "I have been waiting for a call since the last time we talked, if I'm honest." That was the truth. She had been waiting, and she normally would have called if she wanted to, but she felt weird calling her. What if she was busy? What then? Leave a message? Ha!

_"Aww, baby I'm sorry. I should call you more often. How does that sound? Every day, right after your first surf, and then at the end of the night, right before you go to bed." _Bella sighed, _"I miss you, Ali. Have you made any new friends?"_

"New friends?" Alice panicked. What if she thought something was going on with that redhead? Surely the cameras weren't on her at that moment? Please, GOD, don't let them have filmed her blowing off that redhead! "Of course I haven't made any new friends."

Her siblings stopped talking, looking at her in shock. Bella knew. She must know. There was no way she could ask that if she hadn't seen Alice with the redhead.

_"Baby, why are you freaking out?" _Bella laughed, rubbing her face, _"You're acting like making friends is completely forbidden. Baby, come on. You are allowed to have friends, I never said you couldn't. I'm not __**exactly **__the jealous type, and I would never accuse you of cheating, if that's what's going through your mind."_

"O-Oh." Alice sighed aloud, her siblings relaxing with her. "I, uh...well, right before you called me, a girl had come up to me and complimented me on my surf, and then she tried to hit on me."

_"Was she at least cute? Because if she wasn't, I gotta say, you may just be losing your charm, babe." _Bella giggled, _"Let me make a rule for you. If you must cheat, do it with someone I can honestly pat you on the back for bedding. Like a Victoria's Secret Angel. That, I would just drop to my knees and worship you for."_

"So you want me to cheat on you with someone fake?" The pixie lifted a perfectly cared for brow, "Does the deal apply to you, too?"

_"First off, they are not fake. Their pictures are, sure, but you can't fake film... and of course it does not apply to me. I am not a cheater. I don't even cheat mentally..." _She paused, _"Okay, maybe I jumped the gun a bit. I did cheat mentally once, but it was on Louis with you."_

"Oh, then you weren't really cheating. It's natural instinct to want to do dirty things to me." She chuckled, her cheeks dusting pink, "I do it all the time to you."

_"Good to know. Anyway, baby, I can see your lineup, and it looks like...Edward and Jasper are up next? Who is that blond that was paired with you?" _The brunette didn't recognize her, so she must be a surfer she had yet to meet or learn about. _"Because she's got some rancid skills, too."_

"She's my cousin, Kate. Do you remember me mentioning my cousins?" The pixie looked at Kate, who looked close to snatching the phone away from her and running away. "The one I was surfing with was Kate. She has two sisters, Tanya, the oldest of the three, and Irina, the youngest. They've been surfing for as long as we have, and their mother was my father's sister. She was my aunt."

_"Oh, yeah. I remember you mentioning them. So, who was that little blond that was surfing against you? This Jane person?" _Bella was just a curious little thing, wasn't she? _"She was very aggressive out on the waves. Is she like that on dry land, too? Because if she is, stay away from her, baby."_

"She's actually the one we fought with." Alice had to laugh at that. Her love had Jane pegged after only watching her surf. She had a talent, that girl. "Her name is Jane Volturi, and she's the type of girl who thinks she's entitled to wins because her parents both surfed back in the day. She's got a twin brother that looks _nothing _like her, and they call her 'The Princess' of the Volturi family. It's ridiculous to us all, really."

_"You're the princess of the Cullen family. How is that any different?" _The brunette laughed at the girl's indignant huff. _"Baby, come on. You are a princess. Don't deny it, you've called yourself that once before. Back when the competition was here in Washington."_

"Yes, but I am a princess because I worked for it all. I don't feel entitled to anything, and I certainly don't demand anything for my title or skills as a surfer." Alice pouted, "Do you want to know why the competition doesn't air until noon?"

_"I was actually going to ask about that...I had a long morning, a boring morning, since I figured you guys would start at the crack of dawn like normal." _The girl laughed, _"But low and behold, the cable company moves the whole thing back by six hours."_

"Because Princess Jane wanted to sleep in until noon." Alice scoffed, "A true surfer gets up in the morning to surf the awesome waves that strike in early hours. She kept the nation of surfing fans waiting because she wanted her beauty sleep!"

_"What a bitch. I hate her already." _The brunette chuckled, _"I can't imagine what its like to have to deal with her on a daily basis. I almost feel bad for you. How is the surf out there, though? It doesn't look very fun...from this side of the television."_

"Oh, it isn't fun at all. I'm having to constantly move, and then that stupid paddle just...Ugh! You don't surf, baby, but if you did, you would hate this so much!" The tiny surfer snapped, "I wish we were in Hawaii or something for this. Hell, the mavericks would be amazing right about now."

_"I think this is God chanting 'Karma...Karma...Karma' for all the awesome waves you caught here a few weeks ago. Just wait until you get back, you'll be begging for the paddle-boarding waves again." _Bella continued chanting 'Karma' in the background as Alice prepared to speak back. _"Oh! Those are some really shallow spots you guys are hitting up...Be sure to tell Jasper that he shouldn't keep hitting the hitting the shallow like that, he'll hit something and that'll be disastrous for us all."_

"Wait, how did you know about...?" Alice bit her lip, her mind's gears working up a furious sweat. "Have you been reading up on it or something? You didn't know nearly this much when we were up there."

_"Yeah, I've read up on it, did research on it, and even watched a few videos of other areas where the surf is particularly harsh. I've been going to the beach once in a while with Leah and watching her. I, honestly, find myself becoming quite the physics nerd with all this stuff." _Bella swallowed quietly, _"That's what a whiteboard is for, if you remember me saying that."_

"Oh yeah." Alice giggled, looking at her siblings, who were smiling warmly at her and each other, "Edward and Jasper are back."

_"And Emmett and Tanya are up next." _The brunette sighed in relief at the change of topic. Shit, she'd almost outed herself. _"So I take it Rose isn't surfing anymore?"_

"Nope. Not since she'd found out she was carrying the future of The Cullen Family. Hell, even if she wanted to, which she doesn't, we would never let her surf unless we were a hundred percent sure, which we aren't, that she wasn't going to hurt the baby that way." Alice looked out at the water. It was so blue there, it matched the family's blue eyes. "I wonder. What do you think about the baby? We've got bets going on."

_"Really? What are the categories?" _Bella dug through her wallet, sighing at its empty bill pocket. She needed to stop by the bank.

"We've got pots for gender, weight, date, genes, temperament, and looks." The pixie motioned for her brother to get a move on, "Go, they're waiting on you and Tanya."

_"Then, I pick...girl...around seven pounds...I'm willing to bet she'll be born the same day you were...she'll have more Rosalie in her. As for temperament, I think she'll be a quiet baby. The kind that sleeps through the night and doesn't fuss. Looks...she'll have blue eyes by default, black hair like Emmett, but she'll be small and dainty like you. You may not be a parent in the equation, but you have the same genes as Emmett, maybe that'll be carried on through him." _Bella sighed, _"Since we're talking about babies, do you have any ideas of what your future kids would look like?"_

"No...I don't. Too early to think of that." The pixie smiled warmly, her heart fluttering, "But as soon as I know, I'll let you know. How does that sound?"

_"Sounds great. Perfect." _Bella had wanted to know, but if she wasn't ready to talk about it yet, she wouldn't push it. _"Wow, Tanya is just as awesome as Kate! What is it that your parents feed you that makes you all so amazing? Seriously, because I've been missing out."_

"Baby, we were born this way." Golden eyes sparkled with mirth.

_"You seriously want to start the Gaga thing right now?" _The main-lander chuckled, _"Because I will sing the damn song with the grace of a dog with a frog in its throat. I will, so help me!"_

"You know, I think I would like that." Alice giggled, her free hand moving to cradle the phone to her ear, "I,"

"Hello again, Alice." The pixie turned to look at who had talked to her, and she frowned, and turned back to continue talking on the phone to her lover. "What, you aren't going to talk to me now? How rude."

_"Alice, who is that?" _Bella could feel herself bristling.

"It's nobody. Ignore her." Alice had her back to the redhead, who pouted and walked around to look at her face. "Can I help you? I'm a little busy here."

"I just wanted to talk to you. Get to know you better, that's all." Blue eyes narrowed, "So I'll wait until you're off the phone."

"Well, don't hold your breath, because I'm not getting off the phone anytime soon." The pixie hissed, turning to go to Edward and Jasper, nudging in between them, "Keep her away from me. I'm trying to talk to Bella."

Jasper looked at the redhead in question, blue eyes narrowing back at the girl who was glaring at them, "Where is your mother, little girl?"

"Jasper, please don't patronize her, just," Edward looked at the girl and smiled, "You should find your parents, they might be worried about you right about now."

"I'm not worried." She smiled back in an annoying way, "Besides, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"If you like your red hair attached to your head, I suggest you leave." Three blond girls now hovered over the redhead, who now had the decency to look nervous. "Else we'll shave it all off."

"F-fine." She spun around and took off running. "See you at the after event, Alice!"

"What an ugly combination of genes!" Kate laughed, though she was frowning, "I told you, she thinks she's hot shit, and seriously, who pairs red-orange hair and blue eyes? The only person who ever did it right was Nicole Kidman. She's the only one!"

"Oh, Tanya's back." Alice chuckled when two of the three blonds straightened up. Tanya hated for her sisters to be fighting, and she was very strict about it. When she'd heard that Kate had hit Alec Volturi, let's just say she wasn't the happiest older sister on the planet.

"Emmett!" Rosalie flung herself at her wet husband, who grinned hugely at her. "You were just a God out there."

"That's me. The God of all things wet and moist." He waggled a brow at the four gawking blonds and laughed, "Did I ever tell you guys that I wanted to be an actor?"

"Should I add that to the list of things you've wanted to be since we were twelve?" Blue eyes rolled at her partner's equally blue eyes, "Fireman, astronaut, Calvin Klein model...what else? An actor!"

"Hey, hey. You know I could be a Calvin Klein model if I really wanted to be! I've had offers!" He puffed up his chest, "I'm dead sexy."

"Baby, it's my turn to go back on. I'll call you later on tonight." Alice spoke quickly, heartbroken that she had to get off the phone. "I wish my phone was waterproof."

_"It's alright, baby. Get going now, don't want to keep anyone waiting. I eagerly await your call." _Bella grinned, _"Have fun out there. I love you."_

"I love you, too. Bye, baby." She blew kisses into her phone and closed it, sighing.

"Yeah, and Alice is just..." Rosalie looked at the pixie, who was now looking at her as if to say, 'Finish that sentence, bitch.' "Never mind."

"That's what I thought." The tiniest Cullen giggled, turning to her youngest cousin, "It's our turn to go out, Irina."

"Didn't you already go out today?" The blond sighed, "Are you sure there isn't someone else lined up to go with me?"

"I'm fairly sure. I am the leading lady for The Cullen Five, and we are one person short," She looked at Rosalie happily, "Though, I'm glad for the reason. As the leading lady, I have to surf and fill the spots that are empty."

"Ah, that makes sense." Tanya nodded, "Well, get on out there, you two. I'd hate to keep these judges waiting. They were hired with great influence by Aro Volturi."

"They'll need more than influence to win this thing."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Well, that was a great first day, wasn't it?" Bella looked over at Leah, who was sitting on the recliner. "Well?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good..." The amazon snorted, "But the waves weren't worth their weight in shit."

"I know. They're all hating it over there." The main-lander shrugged, "I suppose they'll love it when they get back here or go somewhere else. Have you ever been anywhere else to surf?"

"Nope. But I will some day." Leah crossed her arms over her chest, "Just like you will. Only, I think that'll be happening for you sooner than it'll be happening for me."

"Aww, come on, Leah." The brunette swiped at her, "If I end up going somewhere, you're going with me. We're a package deal, along with Sethy."

"That sounds great." She sighed, her eyelids fluttering dreamily, "The three of us forming our own troupe. If you weren't so involved with the Cullen Five, we may have been able to do that. Anyway, it would be nice to travel the world and surf for fun with you guys."

"Then that's what's gonna happen." She tilted her head, "With or without the Cullens."

"Purrrfect." She drawled, "Anyway, I'm starving. Let's go eat or something. I need...sustenance!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Tuesday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 2<strong>

"So we're actually starting early today?" The pixie mumbled into her pillows as her mother attempted to shake her awake. "Ugh. Fuck Jane Volturi."

"Sweetheart, even though we don't like her, that gives you no reason to speak ill of her." She chided gently, sweeping the girl's short locks behind her ear, "Don't you think you've slept long enough? You went to bed early last night."

"I didn't fall asleep until maybe three." The pixie sat up, rubbing her golden eyes while yawning cutely, "Bella kept me up most of the night."

"Oh..." Esme blushed lightly, and Alice's eyes widened in realization of her mother's realization, "I always wondered how one would do that...but you've found a way."

"Err...I didn't mean it like that." She chuckled, blush lightly dusting her cheeks. "We were talking...no, I was talking about the joys of surfing, and she was talking about the joys of walking in a straight line without falling. Apparently she trips a lot...though, I don't think I've ever seen her trip. Not even once!"

"I've seen her do it. It's quite funny." Esme giggled behind her palm, "I love this conversation we're having, but I have to remind you that we have half an hour to get your cheeks to the sand."

"I'm going, I'm going. I want to try to call Bella and tell her that it's starting early today." She threw her legs off the edge of the bed and she stumbled over to her desk, fumbling for her cell phone. She picked it up and pushed speed dial number two. It rang twice before going to voicemail. "Aww, Bella! We're starting early today! Wake up!" She giggled, "Anyway, text or call me as soon as you get this message, because I miss hearing your voice. I gotta go! Love you, bye!"

She flipped it closed and sighed, turning to see that her mother had slipped out of her bedroom while she was trying to call her lover. She pursed her lips and muttered to herself, "Still sleeping, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"You know, I wish she was here to surf with me." Bella laid back on her surfboard, "I wish she was here to watch me. To watch me fly."

"She'll be here soon enough, Bella." Seth grinned, "But until then, you'll need to settle for us. So, get to it. I want to see you ravage a ten foot wave."

"Seth, you can barely do that yourself." Leah laughed at her brother, "Bella already surpasses your skill, less than a month into her learning it."

"Well, she's a natural. No need to use her born-skill against mine. I had a crash course in surfing, if you remember." He crossed his arms over his chest, "I used a shortboard before anything else, and ended up with a broken arm before the first month hat the privilege to end."

"Then, shush." She looked over at the brunette, who was still lying on her back, "And you! Are you tired or something?"

"Yeah, actually. I am." She sat up finally, scratching her scalp, "The novelty is wearing off. Maybe I should take a few days from surfing..."

"You aren't quitting on us, are you?" Leah's eyes widened, panic in her chest. "Dude, no way! I mean, you rock at it! Don't give it up!"

"I never said I was quitting it. I just...want a few days to go back to what I was doing before. I guess...being close to the ocean isn't close enough to Alice. She almost caught me yesterday when I suggested that one of her siblings correct his posture." She smacked her own forehead, "God, I don't want her to find out that quickly. I want...to show it to her, and not have her find out over the phone."

"I get that. You know what? It might be a good idea for you to take a break." She nodded to herself, "You're still so new to it all, and even Seth and I don't surf every day like you do. I suppose the only reason I pushed for it was because you were still learning the basics, and now...you surf almost as good as I do."

"Thanks." Bella fell back on the board again, yelping when it almost tipped over and threw her off, "I have to learn to remember that this isn't a bed, nor is it stable."

"That's lesson number one, Bella." Seth chortled, holding his stomach, "Anyway, I'm totally up for going out to the movies tonight or something."

"Hey!" The brunette fell off the side of her board, choking and gasping as she came back up for air, "Oh my god!"

"What?" Leah looked bored by now.

"CAPTAIN AMERICA!" She shouted, "It came out last Friday! I forgot!"

"Whoa, wait. Who is Captain America?" Seth blushed when Bella glared at him. "What?"

"Who is Captain America? Are you fucking kidding me?" she shrilled, looking at Leah, who just laughed, "Where the hell has your brother been that he doesn't know Captain America?"

"He isn't a Marvel fan." She shrugged, "He's a DC fan."

"Traitor." She hissed at him, "So you like Superman and Batman and the like?"

"Err...I read those comic books, so yeah." His eyes narrowed, "You got a problem with Batman?"

"Only that he isn't a real hero." She grinned, "He just has the gadgets. He's no better than an ordinary man."

"Oh yeah, and Ironman was better?" Leah scoffed, "Tony Stark is just as powerless as Bruce Wayne."

"You've got a point there." She wrinkled her nose, "How do you know of Tony Stark?"

"My brother may be an idiot, but I was around for the comic books thing, Bella. Used to read them during sleepovers, remember?" She laughed at Bella's shocked expression, "You had a thing for Thor."

"Damn, you knew." She bit her lip, "Anyway, you remember Captain America, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. The First Avenger. Can't forget someone whose costume is the American flag colors." She chuckled, "They made a movie of his comics?"

"That's right." She grinned, "We should go watch it. And then eat Chinese food afterward or something."

"She said Chinese food, I'm game." Seth motioned for the three of them to proceed, "Let's do it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Alice, chill out." Edward laughed, slinging an arm around his sister's shoulders and pulling her into his side, "Maybe her battery died? Or maybe she's still asleep?"

"It's been hours, Edward." She bit her lip after snapping at her brother, "I'm sorry...It's just that she always finds the time to call me after my first surf...and the surfing day is over, and she still hasn't called me. Not even so much as a text message."

"Who knows, maybe she decided to get out of the house and have a little fun?" Jasper came up behind his boyfriend and threw his arms around his waist, "People tend to do that type of thing. Have fun. Maybe she's out with friends?"

"Maybe." She sighed, "I've been so selfish, calling over and over. Maybe she is busy. You're right." Alice had just been about to call Bella again, but snapped her phone closed and threw it into her bag.

"Alice!" Everyone's heads snapped to where they'd heard a stranger shout out for their youngest member. "Hey, there!"

"Here we go again." Edward hissed to himself.

"Bitch wants to die." Kate grinned, popping her knuckles.

"I was wondering if I was going to see you today." Autumn came as close to the group of people as she could without being within arms reach, "I was so upset that I didn't see you last night at the after event. I was hoping we could talk more."

"I'm sorry, but-" Alice was going to tell her that she wasn't interested, but the girl cut her off rudely, making her snap her teeth together.

"Oh, it's no problem! I get to see you right now, right?" She winked, and it looked wrong on her. She smirked, and it made Alice's stomach twist, "Do you mind if I hang out with you today?"

"Actually, even if she didn't mind, which I'm sure she does, I really mind, so no. You can't." Kate sneered, "I reserve the right to kick a stalker's ass any time of day."

"Stalker? Who is a stalker?" Autumn's eyes narrowed, "That better not be directed at me, I'm not a stalker."

"I'm not interested, anyway." Alice rolled her eyes at the redheaded girl and turned on her heel, walking away and turning back to see if her siblings were still following her. They were.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Fuck, that movie was amazing!" Seth threw his arms up in the air, "I mean, Red Skull was freaking bad ass, but seriously, Captain was just...God! I had an orgasm, I swear I did!"

"Seth, calm down." Leah laughed at the boy of the three and sighed, "Now, Chinese?"

"Fuck yes." Bella nodded, grinning hugely, "Told you Marvel was better."

"Yeah...but they don't exactly cater to females, do they?" Bella shook her head and frowned.

"The only comics that had females were like...X-Men and Thor. Even then, they were supporting characters." She blew a raspberry, "Though, I can appreciate DC for their females. Catwoman was just...Jesus, did you guys see that movie? Halle Berry can be bad all she wants! She was Storm in X-Men."

Bella dug into her bag and noticed that her phone was flashing. What?

"FUCK. ME. SIDEWAYS!" The pale brunette slapped her forehead over and over. "She's gonna be so pissed at me. I don't even want to open my phone to look at the notifications."

"Do it fast. Like a bandage." Seth laughed, "Maybe she won't yell if you tell her you were with us?"

"I can definitely use you guys as an excuse." Brown eyes lit up, flipping the phone open. "Jesus...thirty four missed calls...and eighteen new text messages. Just from Alice's phone..."

"How many in total?" Leah peeked over her friend's shoulder, "Holy fuck...this chick must be seriously missing you if she's called seventy eight times and texted forty nine times."

"Yeah, I can't use you guys as an excuse. She's still going to kill me." The brunette bit her lip, pressing the call button once she'd highlighted her girlfriend's name. It rang twice before the other girl picked up.

"_Hello?" _She sounded irritated. Oh shit.

"H-Hey, baby!" Bella was squealing inside in discomfort. This was going to probably get ugly. "I-I saw that I had a missed call from you."

_"Just one?"_ Alice used a clipped tone, and the brunette much rather would have to hear nails screaming down a chalk board. "_Because last time I checked, I had called at least seventy five times."_

"I am so sorry, baby, I seriously..." She sighed aloud, rubbing her forehead, "I had the ringer off, and then I went to hang out with Leah and Seth...and we went out, so-"

_'What do you mean, you went out? With Leah?' _Alice sounded incredibly jealous. _'Is there something I have to know about? Because last time we talked, you said you loved me.'_

"Ali, you know I love you. Don't be upset, I haven't had the chance to go out and actually watch a movie with friends in a while, baby." Bella pleaded, "I promise, I love you with all of my heart and can't wait until you come home."

_"I love you, too." _Alice huffed, _"Did you even watch me today?"_

"I'm sorry, baby..." She mentally slapped herself over and over, "I promise nothing will get in the way of me watching you all day tomorrow. Alright? And right after the competition day, we'll Skype again."

_"Yay! Well, I'm getting ready for bed, baby. I'll talk to you tomorrow." _Alice giggled excitedly, _"Are you home already?"_

"Oh, no...we just left the movies. I'll text you when I get home. Promise." Bella motioned for her idiots to get into her car, "I love you."

_"I love you more." _Alice yawned over the phone, and Bella chuckled.

"I seriously doubt that, but let me answer that with an 'I love you more times infinity.'" The brunette laughed, "Good night, baby."

_"Night." _CLICK.

"Dodged a bullet there, huh?" Leah was leaning against the car with a huge grin on her face. "At least it didn't blow up in your face like it could have."

"It kinda did." She bit her lip, "No surfing at all tomorrow. I promised to watch her the whole time, and after that, we're Skyping."

"Ever consider using that as a porn channel?" The amazonian friend laughed, "It could be effective."

"I...never thought of that." Bella blushed darkly, "You've got a point. I should look into it."

"While you're at it, consider when we should go get your new board. You should pick one in a very special color." She ducked into the car and sat down on her little brother's lap, "What color do you recommend for Bella's new board?"

"Isn't blue your favorite color?" Seth looked over at their friend, who had chosen that moment to climb into the driver's side. She nodded, grinning.

"I love baby blue." She licked her lips, "But I wouldn't get a surfboard in that color for myself. I already bought one for Alice in that color, and she loves the thing."

"Then, get one in Alice's favorite color." Leah shrugged, "Makes the most sense to me."

"Yellow?" Bella thought about it for a second, and grinned. "It's perfect. With a white star on it."

"That would be cute." Seth grunted when Bella hit a speed bump, "Easy there! Leah doesn't weigh as little as she thinks she does."

"How rude!" She glared at her brother, "I'll have you know that both of my thighs are one of yours!"

"I'm a boy. I was born this way, baby." He chuckled, "'sides. If it were the other way, I'd have to call you thunder thighs."

"Ugh. Boys." She snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you at least enjoyed ittt! :D <strong>

**Namaste!~**


	25. Chapter 25

**Namaste! Thanks to my loyal readers and reviewers. I love you guys. I've noticed a slight decrease in review posting. Just stating an observation. Smile.**

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, oh! In other news, I've joined Roller Derby! If any of you can think of a cool Roller Derby name for me, that would be great! I'd love you guys forever! :)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Wednesday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 3<strong>

"Amazing. As always." Bella nuzzled into the pillow that was lying on her lap, arms wrapped around it as her eyes were glued to the flatscreen. "Dad, I want to surf with the big kids."

"Bella, I don't think you have the coordination for that type of thing, sweetheart." He patted the top of her head, "Leave it to Ali, alright? I don't think she'd want you endangering yourself out there even if you could do it."

"No fun." She pouted, cheeks pink. "I just think...it would be cool to try."

"As long as Leah's with you." He chuckled, "Just don't break your neck out on the baby waves, you hear me?"

"Yeah, dad. I hear ya." She focused now on the pixie on the screen who was simply _flying _through that wave. She was owning it out there, as predicted and expected. Bella watched the way Alice would maneuver on her board, and committed it to memory in hopes to be able to apply her new-found knowledge to her own skill. "Hmm..." Bella's eyes caught the expression on her love's face as she was surfing... "Odd."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Good Lord." The tiniest Cullen growled, "Do these people not know what the hell they're doing?"

"What's the problem, Surfer-Ali?" Rosalie came up to her sister, ice cream cone in hand. The rapidly melting treat was dripping down the girl's hand, but she didn't seem to care. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't you see the lineup? I was out there with Jane. That isn't the issue. The issue is the fact that aside from us, there were three intermediate pairs surfing alongside us!" She ran her hands through her black hair, growling, "One of them almost ran into me, arms flailing and all!"

"Maybe we should talk to the judges." She grasped her sister's small hand and was going to lead her to the judges table, when an unwelcome figure materialized in front of the pair.

"Hey, Alice. Rosalie." The redhead smiled sweetly, "Having fun out here?"

"Not in the mood, bitch." Rosalie shoved the girl aside and pulled Alice along to the judges table as they had originally planned. The redhead tilted her head and spotted the male members of the Cullen Five. She sauntered over to them and smiled, laughing at a clearly stupid joke that Emmett had said a few moments prior to her walking up to them.

"Hey, boys." She settled between Emmett and Jasper. "So..."

"Oh, I think I hear Rosalie calling!" The bear spun around after snapping at his brothers and marched over to the judges table. When they arrived there, the three of them sighed in relief.

"God, I don't think I've ever felt this way about someone. I feel like...I want someone to run her over with an ATV or something."

"That makes five of us." Alice hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let's get the hell out of here! I am going to talk to Bella again!"

The pixie danced away from them and toward the car they'd all come in. When she reached it, she spun around and shouted at her siblings, "Hurry the fuck up!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Thursday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 4<strong>

"Thanks for making time to come out and see us, daddy!" Alice giggled, hugging her father tightly, "I am so happy right now!"

"I'm glad. We would have come by and watched you before, but we needed to seriously get at least some work done." Carlisle wrapped his arms around his youngest child and sighed, "How is the competition?"

"You mean the people? They're...tolerable." She wrinkled her nose, "If a redhead by the name of August or something comes around, ignore her, please."

"What do you mean?" Esme's brow furrowed, "Ignore a girl?"

"She's trying to get into little Ali's pants. Even though that job has been permanently given to one Isabella Swan of Forks, Washington." Jasper snorted as he laughed, "But seriously, the redhead is crazy. Don't believe anything she says."

"I'll keep an eye out." The blond father looked terribly uncomfortable and on high alert. It wasn't every day that their children disliked someone, and it was never without cause.

"Be careful out there!" Esme cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted at her children, all of whom waved at her. "Oh, my babies are all grown up!"

"That's right." Carlisle put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Time has definitely flown by for us and our family, hasn't it?"

"That it has." Esme sighed and leaned her head against her husband's chest, "We should have more children."

"Why don't we wait for Rosalie and Emmett to have their child? That way, we don't have to go through the emotional roller-coaster again, and we get to spoil our grandchild rotten?" He grinned, "I rather like the idea of doing that."

"Sounds like an plan." The green eyed woman nuzzled into her husband, sighing in contentment. "I am really excited for the baby."

"I think everyone is." A shrill voice piped up behind the couple, making them both jump. Carlisle turned his head to look at a redheaded girl, her blue eyes staring him down. _'Jesus, this girl is scary...'_

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The doctor released his wife and eyed the redhead as she walked around to stand in front of them. She curtsied, and Esme bit back a snort. She did it completely wrong, and Esme's upbringing was beating the girl into submission in her head.

"My name is Autumn." She smiled cheekily, "I'm a friend of your daughter, Alice."

"Huh. She's never mentioned you." He lied, smiling.

"Ugh. Typical." She curled her finger through her sausage curls, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Well, I am friends with her. I've been out here watching them surf every day."

"That's...nice of you." Esme bit her lip.

"I was wondering, though, why they don't attend the after events." She was mad-dogging Esme and Carlisle, and the doctor shook his head.

"My children don't like the after events they've had here." He looked past the redhead and saw that his son Edward was running to the ocean with one of the Volturi sons, Demitri. They were the last pair for the day to surf. "If you'll excuse us."

He dismissed her, and the girl clenched her fists.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"You were amazing out there, baby." Bella cooed over the phone, cuddling into the blanket that surrounded her, "I wish I could see you surf in real life."

"You got to see me surf for two whole weeks!" Alice giggled, "Silly main-lander."

"I remember that. Best two weeks of my life!" The brunette was going to keep talking, when Alice started to holler angrily.

"NO VIOLET! OUTSIDE! POTTY OUTSIDE!" The pixie yowled over the line, and Bella felt a little bad for the puppy. "I'm sorry, baby, I have to take the dog outside and clean this...up. Can I call you tomorrow? I'll keep texting you tonight, I'm just really tired."

"Yeah, that'll be fine, babe." Bella chuckled, "Don't kill Vi. She didn't mean to mess on the floor. You were too busy flirting with me."

"That's right. I should materialize you here to clean this up." She snorted, "Anyway, good night, baby. Til tomorrow."

"Til tomorrow." CLICK.

Sigh.

"Is it just me, or are our conversations getting shorter and shorter as the days go by?" Chocolate eyes glanced over at the dog bed that hadn't been moved from the corner of her bedroom. _Holmes..._ "Shit, I'm lonely."

She grabbed her laptop and flipped it open, clicking the internet icon open. When it was open, she searched various ad websites. When she hit Craigslist, she almost cried. She picked up her phone and dialed the number on the ad, breathing in excitement.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 5<strong>

"Alright, let's hit it, Leah!" The brunette 'main-lander' shouted as she ran out her front door and down to her parked and freshly washed Lamborghini. When she was a few feet from it, she had to stop and admire it. It was a beautiful car, it really was.

"Did you wax it?" The amazonian friend crossed her arms over her chest, impressed.

"Yeah. Wasn't too hard." She grinned over her shoulder, "Lock the door?"

"Mmm." Leah spun around and locked Bella's front door, jogging over to her friend, who was still ogling her own car. "You know, if you want, you can marry it."

"Really?" The brunette raised a brow, "Like I'd ever do that. Or even want to do that. What I want...is to see my girlfriend behind the wheel of this beast."

"She will be. Give her some time." The tall native climbed into the passenger's seat and crossed her legs, "Let's go before I decide to not go!"

"Err...okay." The shorter girl hopped in and powered the beast on, moaning inwardly at the purr of the engine. She buckled her seat belt and put the car in reverse, backing out of her driveway and onto the street.

The drive to the surf shop was very short, and when they pulled up to the plaza, Leah was bouncing in her seat. She'd never been into this shop, only to ones that were on the reservation. Bella couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's excitement.

"Let's go in."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Hmm..." Alice bit her lip in thought, eyes unfocused as she tied the back of her bikini top. She shook her head slightly, ridding herself of the mental cobwebs and sighed. "I need to do something."

She sat down on the edge of her bed and thought back to her whole life. What was something that she'd seen that always broke her heart? Animal abuse. Child abuse. Human trafficking. Starvation. Homeless families. Sickness.

She fell back against her bed and groaned. She needed to do something about how she felt right now. A knock on her bedroom door made her look up slightly, before her head fell back and Esme came in, a cup of something steaming in her hand.

"Chocolate?" She offered her daughter the cup in her hands, frowning when her daughter didn't even glance up again. She didn't take the cup. "Honey? Is something wrong?"

"The world is wrong." She whispered before sitting up quickly, making the older woman jump slightly. "I think...we should surf for charities."

"Is that what you want to do?" The mother was a little happy with what her child had said. She and Carlisle had been considering talking to their children about surfing for charities when the U.S. National Surfing Competition came up.

"Yes." She looked right into her mother's eyes. "I will talk to everyone about it. By the time the U.S. Competition comes around, we should have enough of a following to earn enough money to get charities and out-reaches jump started."

"That is a great idea, sweetheart." the mother couldn't help but hug her child. She was such a passionate girl, and she was very happy...so very happy, that her daughter wanted to help people in her own way. "Your father and I will start calling charities. Are there any in particular you want us to call?"

"You don't have to call anyone really. I'm going to make an announcement at the Finals of this competition." She grinned, thrilled. "That should definitely start a wildfire."

"Oh, I knew you were going to be my most compassionate child!" She cheered, grasping her daughter and running out of the room, Alice laughing as her mother carried her.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella<strong>

"This is it." The 'main-lander-slash-surfer' placed a gentle hand on a sunshine yellow shortboard that had a thick white stripe running up it's length in the center, with a yellow star dead center. "It's perfect."

"You know, I would say something along the lines of 'are you crazy? You just started surfing a few weeks ago!' but since I've actually seen you in action...I've gotta say that I would personally carry the thing to the beach for you if you asked." Angela guffawed, scaring a boy who had been looking at boardshorts. "Is this it?"

"No. I want another." She looked around again, and turned to Angela, "Where are the fish?"

"Oh, over there." She pointed to a small section that was closed off. "We actually just got some new ones recently. Beautiful boards in there."

"This is my fish right here." Bella squealed girlishly, much to her friend's amusement, when she put her hand down gently on a fish that had a picture of a sunset on a beach. It didn't have the tacky palm trees they typically had, and it was just...beautiful. "God, this is perfect."

"Should I break the total to you gently, or should I just...say it quickly to get the pain over with?" Angela chuckled, looking over at the boy who began to ogle the three girls.

"Just give it to me straight, doc." Bella flicked her hair over her shoulder and snorted. She just pulled a Rosalie! The boy who was watching them swooned a little, and the brunette didn't understand. "Is he okay?"

"He's just star struck, leave him alone." Leah laughed, "It's not every day you see a hot girl buy an equally hot surfboard."

"I hear that." Angela agreed. "You'd be surprised by how hard it is to sell these things. Anyway, you're total is...eight hundred and fifty for that one." She pointed to the yellow shortboard, "And that one is a whopping six hundred dollars."

"So my total is one thousand four hundred and fifty dollars." Surfer-Bella grinned, "I got that. Ring me up, babe."

"You got it." The braided brunette ran to the counter and began fiddling with the money machine and blinked in confusion, and then thumped her forehead. "Bella, I forgot."

"What?" She was rubbing the yellow surfboard longingly.

"Alice came by the day she was leaving, and gave me money to hang onto for you." She pulled out the envelope with the crisp eight hundreds. "Do you want it?"

"No." She pursed her lips, smiling slightly, "She's buying my shortboard for me, like I bought her blue one for her."

"Ah." Her cashier friend nodded in agreement, "I like that plan. The difference will be six hundred and fifty dollars."

"Leah, are you alright?" Bella looked at her amazon friend, noticing how she was eying a shining jet and charcoal black shortboard. The amazon had once told her that she'd only ever used hand-me-down surfboards, and never actually had a new one. "You like that one?"

"Err...It's nice." She shrugged, as if indifferent. "Well, are we almost ready to go?"

"Angie, ring that one up for us, too?" Angela's jaw dropped. Hell, Bella may as well buy all of the damn surfboards in her shop! "Please?"

"Bella, no, I really-"

"Shut up, Leah. How much do I owe you now?" She reached into her bag and produced her wallet, taking out the slim black card her mother had given her weeks before.

"Uh...one thousand...six hundred and...twenty five dollars." Angela was a little...she didn't know how to feel about Bella buying three surfboards in one day, one of which was not for her, but she was getting...one hell of a sales commission.

"Come on, Bella, really, I don't need it." the amazon was trying to convince her friend to not buy her a surfboard that was this expensive, but of course, she wasn't listening.

"Leah, if you don't be quiet, you are _walking _home." She whispered to her friend, whose shoulders dropped instantly.

Angela was handed the black card, and she charged it, the approval coming in instantly. She pulled the receipt off the machine and handed it to Bella, watching the girl shove it all into her bag.

"Do you guys want help to take the boards out to the car?" Angela was still eying the boy who was still gawking at the future Cullen. "I'm sure sparky over there won't mind helping."

"Sure, thanks for volunteering!" Bella turned to the boy, grinning hugely. The boy blushed darkly and turned his eyes down to the floor, "You'll help us, won't you?"

"Y-Yeah...I guess." He sighed.

"Great! Now, take the Fish out and wait by the black sports car." Bella gripped her yellow shortboard and watched happily as Leah, lovestruck, hugged the black surfboard to her chest. "Come on, Leah. Thanks, Angie! See you at the beach tonight? There's a bonfire set to be fired up."

"Definitely! I'll even rope Jessica, Micheal and Eric." She beamed at her friends, "Hope those boards are what you were looking for!"

They said their goodbyes and Leah laughed aloud at the boy who was helping them. He was gawking and drooling over the Lamborghini. Bella carefully placed the towels down on top of the car and placed the yellow and black boards down first, tying them down. She then placed her fish on top of those, mindful of the fins, and tied that one down, too.

"This is your car?" He held his hands in front of his pants.

"Yeah. My mother bought it for me." Bella smiled at him, "Thank you for your help."

They climbed into the car and when it turned on, the boy's eyes widened.

"How do we look in the car, by the way?" Leah asked as they were backing out.

"Amazingly...hot." He blushed darkly.

"Thank you." She giggled, waving when Bella floored it out of the parking lot, kicking up dust as they went. "You know, you should invest in a roof protecting pad. They sell some in nonslip, that way we won't have to use a towel. It was only supposed to be a temporary fix."

"Yeah. I'll search for one and buy it asap." She chuckled, "Now? To the beach!"

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Do you guys feel like star-gazing tonight?" Alice looked over at her brothers, who were cuddling on the sofa, gazing into each other's eyes. _'Gaaayyyyy.'_

"Star-gazing? That sounds amazing for such a clear night." Rosalie's face was ashen, blue eyes watering. "I could use some fresh air."

"Then, we are most definitely going." Alice wanted to cry for her sister. She must seriously be suffering at this point. She'd had morning sickness most of the day, on and off. Alice shuddered as she thought of what had happened at the grocery store earlier. They had been in the bread section of the store when her blond sister paused, her face turning green suddenly.

Right before Alice was going to ask if she needed to throw up, Rosalie kicked off one of her shoes and barfed right into it. Of course, when she glanced at her shoes, she cried. She had to wear nice closed toe boot wedges, right?

Alice, being the good, understanding sister she is, took the girl shoe shopping after that. They ran around the more expensive stores to look for replacements for the shoes she'd barfed in, but the girl's hormones wouldn't let her enjoy the shopping itself. She had cried, bitched out workers, and threw shoes at Alice when she would show her what she thought was cute.

"Should I dress warmly?" The blond sniffled, "Because I don't know...Emmett hasn't let me outside since we came home."

"Just bring a blanket with you. I'll go set up some chairs for us in the yard." The pixie smiled gently before rushing out of the living room, putting out lawn chairs for whoever was going to come out and enjoy the clear, starry sky with them.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Damn, weren't the boards amazing?" Bella threw her head back and laughed, her chest swollen with joy. "I can't wait for tomorrow to surf with them again!"

"Well, I'd hate to be a party pooper, but the bonfire is starting soon. We should head over soon." Leah strapped their boards to the roof of the car and climbed into it, "It's going to be a few miles farther down the beach. Just go down to access twelve."

"Alright." Bella turned the car on after climbing in, and grinned, "We've gotta let Angie come out with us tomorrow to try those boards out."

"I agree. She could most definitely appreciate a smooth ride like those." Leah's eyes lit up, "Oh, I think your dad is coming out to the bonfire tonight."

"Oh?" The brunette hadn't known her father was going...

"Yeah. Mom and Billy invited him over for it, and he's bringing Leslie over." She waggled her brow suggestively, "I often wonder if he is going to marry her."

"It's a given now. I haven't been cooking dinner, I haven't been home...I feel really bad about that." She sighed, "But, Leslie has been staying over at the house more often, and when I get home, he's already eaten, and there is always left overs for me in the fridge."

"So she's taking care of your pops. I like her already." Leah grinned.

"I do, too." The girls smiled hugely at each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Saturday – Rest Day 1<strong>

"Hello?"

_"Hey, baby! I miss you!"_

"Bella! How are you, baby? I miss you so much, too!" The pixie giggled. "I wish I could see your face in real life, baby. I wish I could kiss you."

_"I'm doing really good! I've just been around with Leah and Angela, hanging out. Oh, I went by the surf shop, and Angela handed me eight hundred dollars cash. Is there a reason she gave me money that you didn't tell me about?" _The brunette sounded very upset.

"B-Baby, eight hundred dollars was a lot of money for you to spend on me...I just asked her to hold onto it for you in case you ever needed it." The tiniest Cullen bit her lip. "I love my surfboard baby, and you know I'm still using it, and it was always the thought that counted for me, baby."

_"How do you think I felt when Angela said that you gave her money to hold onto for me? I felt like you didn't...that you didn't appreciate it at all. I bought it for you because I love you, but then you went and did this?" _Bella grunted. _"I hope you know that the money is long gone. I've already spent it, so you're 'in case you ever need it', has flown out the proverbial window."_

"Bella, what did you spend it on?" Alice's golden eyes narrowed. "Please don't say you spent it on something dumb."

_"That's exactly what I did." _The brunette giggled, _"I was going to buy a lioness and name her Rosalie, but thought that wasn't a dumb enough idea. I paid a welder in town to construct a shark cage for me. Cheapest material, of course. I even threw in an extra five hundred for him to leave big holes in it."_

"Not funny! Not funny!" Alice shouted, face turning red. "What in the hell is going on with you? What if something comes up and you need money?"

_"Like what? A hurricane? Already dealt with that. Car breaks down? I've got insurance and roadside service. Emergency money in case I want to take my girlfriend out on a date? Ha! She's not even here!"_ Bella whined, crying. _"You know what...I need to go. I'll talk to you later."_

"No, baby, wait!" Alice was flustered, confused, and certain that the love of her life was hurting. "Baby, please!"

CLICK.

"F-FUCK!" Alice snapped her phone closed and brought her arm back as if to throw it. She brought her arm down and sighed harshly. "What the hell was that, Alice?"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Sunday – Rest Day 2<strong>

"Hello, sir, I'm just calling to ask if today would be a good day for us to meet?" Bella leaned against the counter in the kitchen, her finger twirling in her waved hair. "Yeah, that would be great. I'm on my way over."

"Oh, Forks. Yeah, just on the other side of Washington." The brunette grinned hugely, "You can expect me there by noon."

Her front door opened and closed, and Bella glanced up from the floor to see Leah, waving at her from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you. Bye." With a snap of her fingers, her phone closed, and waved at her friend. "Feel like taking a trip with me?"

"Oh? Where to?" The amazon was curious now. "And what for?"

"I'm heading over to Everette. I'm going to pick up a puppy." She gushed, "I need a furry friend. This being alone is total bullshit."

"Hey, think we can teach your puppy to surf?" Leah perked up, eyes bright. "I could totally dig that!"

"Let's do it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie<strong>

"Okay, so what you're telling me is...Bella hung up on you last night?" The blond crossed her arms over her chest, sighing aloud. "And that she was upset at you."

"Yes!" The pixie's face was swollen from crying, and she was still crying. "I-I mean, we didn't even fight, she got after me for giving Angela eight hundred dollars, which was how much my board cost, and then she got upset and ….I don't even know!"

"Then, maybe next time, you'll let someone buy you something without a fuss." The blond raised a perfectly manicured brow, "She bought it for you as a token of love. Why you would go back on that, I have no idea."

"I didn't want her to run out of money when she'd need it. That's all that was on my mind." The tiny surfer whimpered. "I love her, and my surfboard."

"Maybe you aren't exactly...grasping what happened." Rosalie adjusted herself on her seat on the bed, "You've met her mother, haven't you?"

"Of course I have." She sniffled, "What about her mother?"

"She is a baby making doctor. She is probably as well off as we are, if not more because she actually works every day." Blue eyes were trained on troubled golden ones. "Money is not an issue for Bella."

"She had a job before-" Rosalie laughed at that.

"She had that job to spoil her dog rotten. That was what her job was for. It had nothing to do with her mother, or her or you. It was for Holmes that she got and kept that job. She also liked having something to do." The blond wrinkled her nose, "As if she wants to sit indoors and crunch numbers all day. She went to college so if in the case something ever did happen, she could work her ass off as an accountant and earn money quickly."

"But..." Amber eyes watered quickly.

"No buts, Ali. What you did wasn't wrong per se, but it was still pretty bad." She chuckled at her sister's indignant expression, "Don't pout. You know you would have been the exact same way if Bella did what you did."

"I would be so angry at her if she was to ever do that to me." She groaned, falling back onto the bed. "I'm such a hypocrite."

"But a cute hypocrite. She loves you, you just need to stop being...whatever." She laughed and stood up, waltzing out of the bedroom, hands on her tummy. "Stop being silly!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, living a life of double standards. It's great. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you guys can help me come up with kick ass Roller Derby names! Because I want a rockin' name. Something fierce, sexy and awesome. <strong>

**Namaste!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Namaste!**

**It's been busy over here in the dusty corner, and I've gotta say, I love it here. Anywhoo, things are gonna get a lot slower around here with the updates and such because my boyfriend's family is opening up a third kids daycare, along with an adult day care that's been in the works for a while. Exciting things are happening, and I'll be under hellfire if shit doesn't go well. That, and I've got a high A in my single math class. Whoo, go me! (I.E. I really suck at math.)**

**I'm sorry if this fic seems to drag, but in total honesty, it's not dragging. Shits happening, and you just aren't catching it. You just want to see Alice and Bella get back together. I understand that, but what's a story without the plot? What's the love without the wait?**

**I sincerely hope you enjoy these upcoming updates, because at some point soon, the first Arc will be over. And then the wait. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Leah<strong>

"Hello, there!" An elderly man stood up from his porch swing slowly, a loud snap echoing over the flat space from where Bella had parked the Lamborghini. "Are you Bella?"

"Yes, sir. That's me." She grinned, and nudged Leah, "This is my friend Leah."

"It's nice to meet you, ladies." He smiled, "If you'll follow me, please."

Bella motioned for Leah to go ahead of her, and her heart was jumping in her chest. They walked around the wrap around porch and came to a wooden pen where a large silver _wolf _was lounging around. There was a big fluffy red Siberian husky lounging next to the silver wolf, and Bella was starting to wonder.

"The wolf there is the mother, and the red there is the father." He sighed, "I only have one pup. They only made one, and I didn't want to wait until he was old enough to give him away. People would come to see him, but one look at his mother, they'd turn tail and run off. Since he is half wolf, he needs to be given to his new family very early...and he needs to be bottle fed every few hours."

"I can see why prospective owners would run." Leah chuckled, "Bella's up to the challenge!"

"I am." She nodded, "Can I see him?"

The man smiled and led them into his house, ducking into a heated wash room. He came back with a rather big, but young puppy.

"Here he is." He handed him over to Bella, who cradled him gently, "He opened his eyes last week, and has had his first shot. Let me give you his record..." He moved into the small kitchen, reaching up on top of his fridge, a yellow card in hand.

He handed it to Leah, who seemed to be the only one listening to him now.

"It would be in his best interest to take him to a vet as soon as possible, and asking what he needs to be doing now...if she's got any questions later, she is free to call me anytime, and I'll answer the best I can."

"Thank you so much." Leah thanked him, shaking his hand. "What do we owe you?"

"Nothing, nothing." He shook his head, "I can see she loves him already. I can't put a price on love, now can I?"

"Nope." Leah looked over at her best friend, who was looking right into the puppy's eyes. She felt her heart swell uncomfortably, and butterflies assault her stomach harshly. She gasped slightly, wincing."She is most definitely in love, huh?"

"You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen." The man whispered to Leah, who blushed darkly, "Don't deny it, sweetheart. I could see it even if I was blind."

"We-we aren't together, sir. I'm sorry." She whispered back to him, and then turned to look at her friend, "So does this mean I'm driving?"

"What?" The brunette took her eyes off the puppy for a second to look at her friend.

"Am I driving? You seem busy." She joked, and the man laughed. "We will be taking our leave now, sir. Thank you, again."

"Thank you." He bowed his head a little, and Leah dragged Bella out of the house by the arm, puppy in tow. "Now! To a pet store!"

"Got that right!" Bella cheered, "Hold him while I drive?"

"Sure." When her hands touched the downy soft fur of the small puppy, Leah couldn't help but squeal. "I'm stealing him from you."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Come on, Vi!" Alice giggled as she hoisted her puppy onto her surfboard, "You're learning to surf, girl."

"That's it, Ali!" Emmett grinned hugely, "Teach that puppy a thing or two!"

"I want to help!" Kate cheered as she ran into the water to help Alice teach her puppy to surf like a professional. "Do you think he'll be allowed to surf the competition with us when he learns how?"

"Only time will tell." Alice guffawed as the puppy tried climbing onto her and further away from the water. "Noo, you have to get _in _the water, not run out of it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Charlie – Monday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 6<strong>

"Renee, I know what I'm telling you!" Charlie whispered into the phone, "She's either been seeing those dirty surfer boys on the beach or she's got a hot end of summer fling going on because she's been coming home sandy, and I've heard that's where she's been since you guys left."

_"You've heard, or you know? I don't want to hop on the first plane over there if you're just overreacting. You know you have a tendency to do that type of thing." _Bella's mother chuckled.

"I just...don't know what's going on or what to do." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I need your help. I'm really worried."

_"I'll be on the first plane out. I should be there soon. I hope, for your sake, that you aren't wrong, Charlie." _CLICK.

"Hey, dad! You home?" Bella came downstairs with...

"Bella, what is that?" Charlie crossed his arms over his chest.

"My new best friend, is what." She giggled, "Look at him. Isn't he pretty?"

"The things I do for your love!" He shouted, running his hands through his hair.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Do you think she'll talk to me today?" The pixie asked as she turned her amber eyes to her older brother. "I want to hear her voice."

"Then call her." Emmett shrugged, "She can't be all that upset at you."

"She could be." The girl bit her lip, "But I'll call anyway."

The pixie flipped her phone open and speed dialed number two. It rang three times before it connected.

_"Hello? Ali?" _The small surfer could have cried. _"Are you there, baby? I'm sorry."_

"Bella." She sniffled as she tried to keep from crying. "I'm sorry about yesterday, baby..I'm really sorry."

_"I know, baby, it's alright. Are you getting ready to go to the competition? It's getting late!" _The brunette bit her lip, _"I'm sorry about the way I reacted yesterday. I didn't mean for it to get like that."_

"I...it's alright. I understand...why you reacted like that. I'm fairly certain...that I would have done the same thing. I love you." Rosalie came into the living room, motioning that it was time to go. "So what did you do yesterday?"

_"I got a new best friend!" _The pixie chuckled at her love's excited tone, _"He's so cute, baby, I'm sure you'd love him just as much as I do!"_

"Wait, are we talking about a person?" Alice stiffened. "Because I don't know how to feel about you thinking someone else, other than me, is cute."

_"No, baby, he is a puppy." _She giggled, _"As if I could ever think someone other than you cute. __Ha! You're funny. He's a puppy that Leah and I picked up yesterday in Everette. An hour north of Seattle."_

"Oh! Alright. Then yes, I most definitely love him, too." She smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Renee<strong>

"Let's see what my rotten baby girl's been doing lately." The mother grinned as she climbed into her rental car. It was the same one from before. She had really liked the car she'd rented the last time. "I hope I catch her in the act! That way, I can laugh at her without having to yell."

Normally, she wouldn't have been in Forks until at least the next day, but what could she say...she had already been on her way over when her ex-husband had called her. It was convenient, for sure.

* * *

><p><strong>Leah<strong>

"Eat up, pup." Bella giggled as she was lying on the floor, a bottle in her puppy's mouth. She would laugh whenever she would twist the bottle and bubbles would gurgle up from the end of it. "He's a hungry puppy, huh, Leah?"

"Yeah, he is." The amazon was lying on the sofa looking on with tender eyes. She bit her lip, her heart thumping uncomfortably before she looked up at the ceiling. _Fuck. I can't do this. Not to Bella or Alice._

"Leah?" the amazon blinked in confusion. "What do you think?"

"Oh? I...uh, dazed out for a few seconds...I didn't catch what you said." The tan skinned girl turned to lay on her side, "Can you repeat that please?"

"I was asking if you remembered that my last dog's name was Holmes." She turned her milk chocolate eyes to her friend, "I assumed you remembered because you started humming. I think I want to name him Sherlock."

"That's a great idea, Bells." She sighed, rolling onto her back. Bella didn't notice that something was bothering her friend.

"I can't wait for Alice to come home. I have so much to tell her." The main-lander-turned-surfer sighed lovingly. "I hope she comes back soon."

"She'll be along when the competition is over, I'm sure. You've cried over her and whined often enough." Her tone was cold, and she herself didn't understand why she was acting this way, so when Bella looked up at her in shock and hurt, she cursed inwardly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"I-I guess you didn't." Bella bit her lip, eyes watering. "I'll be right back."

She picked up her puppy, who was still eating, and took him with her upstairs, closing her bedroom door. When Leah heard the bedroom door close and lock, she sighed aloud, growling. Of course this would turn out this way.

Without another word, she stood up, slipping her shoes on and walking out of the house, closing the front door quietly. She knew Bella wouldn't even know she'd left.

* * *

><p><strong>Carlisle<strong>

The blond doctor looked over all of his children and nieces, smiling proudly, "I am sure we're going to have a great surfing day. Go out and do your best, but always remember to have fun." He glanced at his watch, "Edward, you are up first today."

"Really?" The bronze haired boy jumped up excitedly, "Let's do this!"

"Oh, please be careful out there, Edward." Esme hugged her child and sighed.

"Don't worry, mom. It's just a surf." He chuckled, rubbing her back as he hugged her. "And it's only Felix. He's a homophobe. He won't even get close enough to me to insult me."

"Good." She sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Seth<strong>

"Hey Le!" The happy teen threw an arm around his sister's shoulders, only to yelp when she shoved him away from her roughly. "Leah! What-"

"Don't touch me." Her eyes were tortured. "Stay away from me."

"Hey, now..." The boy patted the top of his head, eyes soft, "What's going on?"

"It's none of your business!" She spat, her eyes watering dangerously. "Mind your own!"

"Babe, you are my sister. Your business is my business. Who knows...maybe talking about it to your little brother will help you?" He slowly walked over to her and very slowly sat down next to his crying sister on the sofa. He reached out and took one of her hands lightly, holding it firmly, "What's...what's going on?"

"I-I can't." She hiccuped, coughing when she tried to swallow back her sobs, "I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone..."

"Are you pregnant?" He offered, and she rolled her eyes at him, crying harder. "Catch an STD?"

"Does it always have to be sex related?" She coughed again, wiping her nose on a tissue, "Can't it be matters of the heart for once?"

"It could..." He blinked at her, thinking. "Can you give me a hint?"

"Bella." She whispered, and he understood.

"Your crush on her. That's the problem, right?" She sputtered and looked at him in shock. "What?"

"You know...about it?" She cried harder, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

"Of course I know about it." He snorted, "I also know that you didn't mean to fall for her. I'm not deaf, dumb or blind, sis. I know things. I also have girl's intuition, for some reason. Maybe I got it, since you didn't."

"Why didn't you tell me? How could you let me let it get this bad?" She crushed her teeth together, rubbing at her eyes, "Why?"

"It wasn't my place to stop you, Leah." He sighed, "I know that this is probably a really bad situation for all intended parties, but...just think, sis. If Alice calls and says she isn't coming back, then you can have Bella. She won't have a reason to say no."

"She loves Alice. You've seen the way she goes off about her. A simple mentioning of her, hell, even mentioning a characteristic of hers sets her off on a love-ridden monologue on how much she loves her, and how they're going to be together for the rest of their fucking lives." She bit off harshly, "I get tired of hearing it. Alice didn't stay to help her. Hell, the bitch didn't even...she didn't call for the first week or two since she'd left! Who was there to help Bella get the fuck over it? ME! Who taught her how to surf? WE did! Who has been having fun with her and loving her without trying? Me. You. Us. She...Alice doesn't deserve her."

"And you think that you do?" Seth raised a brow at his sister's outburst. "From what I just heard, she's really in love with Alice, but you've just...dragged her through the mud because of what was Bella's idea. She didn't want to leave, Le. Bella all but shoved her into her car for the next competition and told her to not come back until it was over."

"I just..." The amazon sniffled, hugging her brother tightly, "She's so...lovable, Seth. What do I do?"

Her brother placed sweet, comforting kisses on her temples and forehead before whispering what she really needed to hear. It would hurt her to do these things, but for the sake of her friendship with the girl...for the sake of always being there for Bella without expecting anything back...she would have to listen to his advice.

"You have to let her go." She sobbed harder, crying aloud and gripping her brother tightly as she crumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

'What the hell was Leah's problem?' Bella sniffled as she nuzzled into her pillows. The puppy was sound asleep on the dog bed that was in the corner of the room. 'I didn't do anything...and she had to go and practically snap at me!'

"BELLA!" The brunette sat up in shock as her mother kicked her bedroom door open and flung herself onto her daughter's bed. "HELLO, sweetheart!"

"Hey, mom!" She squealed, crushing her mother tighter to her chest in a hug.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice <strong>

"I'm curious." Jasper stated calmly as he sat down on the sand next to the resting Alice. When he was seated, an equally curious Tanya and Kate came to sit along with them, Irina telling dirty jokes with Emmett a few feet away. "Now, please note that this is a hypothetical question."

"Noted." Alice nibbled on her fingernail as she looked out into the water, watching as Edward was, once again, ripping it up.

"Say that something was to happen. Say...Bella was to fall in love with someone else..." Alice's golden eyes snapped to her brother's harshly, glaring at him. "It was hypothetical."

"Hypothetically, what if Edward decided he wasn't gay and decided to go for a hot girl that looked nothing like you, how would you react?" The blond boy shuddered and Alice's lips turned up at the corners, "I thought so. Reword your question."

"I can't. As I said, I was curious." He rolled his blue eyes at her, "What would you do if Bella fell for someone else?"

"I-I..." The pixie frowned, but wrinkled her face when she sneezed harshly, "Wow, that cleared my head up quickly. I think that if Bella was to fall in love with someone else..."

"Go on..." Kate was interested now.

"I wouldn't let her go. No way in hell." She laughed, "She said she couldn't fall for someone else. I believe her. She isn't a cheater, either."

"What if someone fell in love with her?" Tanya asked seriously. "You've been gone for a while, Alice. What if someone close to her was to fall for her charms?"

"Like who? Jacob was massacred off the love list long ago. Who else is there?" She snorted. "There isn't anyone."

"Angela?" Jasper named off.

"Has a boyfriend who is very in love with her." She replied.

"Louis?" Rosalie dropped down next to the three of them, Emmett and Irina following.

"She has issues that are being fixed with counseling and drugs. I doubt that Bella likes that type of baggage on her women." She chuckled.

"Seth?" Emmett grinned. "He likes older women."

"I actually doubt that he likes women at all. Anyway, she wouldn't go for him, he's too young. He's like the bratty little brother everyone wishes they had." Alice snickered.

"Leah?" Everyone paused at that one, and Alice's eyes darkened slightly. What about Leah? She had said that they weren't romantically interested or anything...but things could change after hanging out with a person for a while consecutively. When she didn't answer, everyone glanced at each other. Leah was a possibility.

"Bella wouldn't do that to me. And neither would Leah." She stood up and dusted the sand off her shorts, "It's my turn. Good thing this was hypothetical, huh? Else I would have flown to Forks to end it right this moment."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Tuesday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 7<strong>

"Mom, want to go to the beach?" Bella asked as she stomped down the stairs, puppy in arms. "It's a beautiful day today."

"Sounds like a plan, darling." She looked at the puppy, "Isn't he a little small?"

"I needed to get him this small, or we'd have a lot of problems when he's bigger." She grinned, "Well, get a bathing suit on!"

"Alright, alright." Renee put down the newspaper she had in her hands and grinned, "Thank you for sharing your bed with me last night, by the way."

"Thanks for carrying me in your body for ten months, by the way." Bella winked at her mother and raced up the stairs to change into surfing clothes.

* * *

><p><strong>Leah<strong>

"This is harder than I thought." Leah grumbled quietly from her spot on her bed. "If I felt like crap yesterday, I feel like total shit today."

"Well, if you want to keep your relationship with Bella platonic, you'll stay here while I go to work." Seth shot his sister a glare, "And if you aren't here when I get back, I'll know what happened."

"Just shut up and go." She growled at him, rolling over and facing the wall.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"How is the surf today, Rose?" The pixie asked as she filed her nails down, not bothering to look up at the water, "It sounds good."

"It sure as hell looks good." She grinned at her sister, who had yet to look up at her. "Hey, look at me."

"Hmm?" Golden eyes were framed by slight bruises.

"You haven't been sleeping." The blond's blue eyes softened in concern. "What's going on? I hear you tossing at night, but I assume you're asleep at night..."

"It's nothing. I guess...I just miss Bella." She sighed, "I need to get another traction pad for my board and maybe a new collar for Violet, it's getting tighter as she gets bigger."

"It was about what Jasper said yesterday, isn't it?" Blue eyes watched closely as her sister flinched. "You know, Bella falling for someone else isn't conceivable. It wouldn't happen."

"I know...but we don't know about whether or not someone would fall in love with her or not." She bit her lip, "I hate unknown variables..."

"I think that you don't have enough faith in Leah." Amber eyes looked into ocean blues, "You know Leah. If she was to fall for Bella, you know she would never come clean with it. She would keep it to herself. Just think about how fierce she was when you or she got hurt. She's a big sister who needs little sisters."

"Much like you?" Alice giggled, rubbing at the bruises under her eyes. "I'm just so worried about it."

"You know, you could always call Bella and ask her if she'd ever go for Leah." The blond spoke softly, "Of course, I already know she would say 'no way!', but at this point, I think you need to hear it for yourself."

"Maybe...I should ask her." She smiled slightly, "Leah already swore to me that she would never...but you can't fight falling in love, can you?"

"Nope."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Turn that up, Jake!" Bella shouted at her ex-best friend, who had driven up in his father's truck, the doors open and the stereo blasting loudly onto the beach. "Yeah!"

_**'Now let me see the booty work, booty work, Booty work, boo booty work, Booty work, booty work, boo boo boo booty work, Go ahead, go ahead, Now let me see the booty work, booty work, Booty work, boo booty work. Left cheek, right cheek, left cheek, right cheek.' **_

The native boy sent her a thumb up as she pushed off into a wave, her mother watching in awe. She had originally come out to see if there indeed was a boy that Bella was 'shacking up' with out on the beach, and low and behold...it was no boy or girl she was being friendly with.

_**Girl it must be a crime to be as fine as you aha, You know exactly what I'm tryin to do, You see me, I'm tryin to keep it jumpin', Girl I got a chevy with hydraulics and you remindin' me of it, Up and down, up and down, girl you know what's happenin', Round of applause, keep that booty clappin', Them other girls lackin' what you packin', And you got them embarrassed by what you got from your parents, I'm tryin to see them shorts, see them shorts spread apart , I aint coming up short, up short Kevin Hart, Kevin Hart.' **_

Renee could definitely let her baby girl surf to music like this. She was being a sexy mama, is what! She was pleased. She couldn't possibly _not _be pleased. She was having fun, active, and she had some skill that she definitely didn't have before she left.

"Is this what she's been doing since Alice left?" Renee turned to the russet skinned boy who sat next to her on the sand.

"Yep. At least, as far as I know. Leah's been out here with her constantly, but for some reason she isn't here today." He shrugged, "Guess she's busy today."

"Yeah..." The mother pursed her lips. "When did she get that tattoo, is a better question."

"I think she said something about getting it when her ink started fading." He rubbed the back of his neck, "I think it's cool."

"I do, too...I just wish I was there to watch her cry." Renee chuckled, "She's got the lowest threshold for pain, that girl. She's always been my baby. I don't know why she doesn't wear her upper ear rings. She cried after getting them for months."

"Her upper ears are pierced?" He didn't know that. Hell, nobody really knew that..

"You'd have to get really close to her to see them. I think she'd put clear things in them for the sake of them not closing, but not wearing rings in them." She grinned, "She's got over nine piercings on her ears. She wanted them all within a week of each other. Crazy girl."

"I never knew that." Jacob sighed. "She's full of secrets."

"That's right." Renee patted his shoulder. "I raised her that way. Keep the Trump card hidden at all times. She's even got a perfected poker face. The only thing I couldn't do was make her a perfect liar. She really isn't a good liar."

"That's a good thing, though. That way, you know you can always trust Bella to be honest with you." The boy ran a hand through his short hair. "So, how long are you visiting for?"

"Until after Bella's birthday. It's next Saturday." She squealed, "My baby girl is going to be a whole year older! She's going to be of drinking age!"

"She's old." Jacob laughed, enjoying Renee's antics. "What is your plan for her birthday?"

"Oh, I wanted to take her to a bar and get her drunk...but I already know she's been drunk before. So, I think she'll have to settle for going into a liquor store and buying her own alcohol."

'_**Tripping out, Spinning around, I'm underground, I fell down, I fell down, I'm freaking out, So where am I now?, Upside down, And I can't stop it now, It can't stop me now...' **_Both of their heads snapped to Bella, who was still surfing, but was now belting the words to the song aloud, her voice sounding heartbroken.

"What song is this?" Renee looked at Jacob, bewildered.

"It's a song by Avril Lavigne..." He thumped his forehead, "It's called Alice."

"Ah." The mother sighed and leaned back in her seat, "I am this close to sending her to Florida. I am dead serious."

"She would kick and scream the whole way." The boy chuckled.

"Not if I drugged her, she wouldn't." Renee's eyes flashed. "That, or I can take away her surfboards and such."

"You are devious." Brown eyes locked with his ex-best friend's mother's, "I like it."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"I'm going against Chelsea? Who decided that?" The pixie crossed her arms over her chest, "I never agreed to that! She scares me!"

"What's the worst she could do? Glare at you?" Emmett laughed, falling backward.

"I swear, she keeps putting hex on me, or something! I always feel shorter after going against her!" Right as she finished her words, her phone was chiming Fergie again, and she dove for it. She flipped it open and nearly shouted for joy, "BABY!"

_"Someone's happy to hear from me!" _Bella chuckled. _"Are you going on next?"_

"Yeah, I am...why, aren't you watching it?" Golden eyes dimmed a little.

_"I have my father DVR-ing it. I'm going to watch it as soon as I get home, I promise. Tomorrow I will not leave my sofa. I just needed to go to the mall in Seattle for something. Who are you going up against right now?" _Bella seemed distracted, and once in a while, Alice could hear someone on the other side of the line.

"I'm going against Chelsea...who are you talking to, Bella?" The pixie could feel herself bristling when she could hear laughter on the other end, "And why are you at the mall? What are you buying?"

_"...No, I don't think she'd like that one. Oh, please. Ah, I'm buying something for a special someone. You can't tell them what I'm buying, baby. That would ruin the surprise! Uh, are you going to be back by next Saturday?" _Alice's ears perked up numerous times. Who was she buying something for? What was next Saturday? Her mind went into automatic remember mode, and she almost slapped herself.

"Of course I'll be there next Saturday, baby. I would never...no, WE would never miss your twenty first birthday!" She shouted, and all of her siblings and cousins began to hoot and shout 'party!' and 'PARTY ROCK!' Emmett even shouted, 'BELLA NEEDS TO GET SMASHED!'

_"Haha, hey guys!" _Bella laughed, _"Am I on speaker now, baby?"_

Alice clicked on the speaker, and chirped, "You are now."

_"Hello CULLEN FIVE PLUS ONE and POWER OF THREE!" _Bella shouted, laughing. _"We are gonna party next week, right?"_

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Bella-bear!"

"I would never miss the chance to buy you something in the expensive price range."

"You're party wouldn't survive without my cake baking skills!"

"Baby, you make the best cakes. I love you. You always look great in an apron."

"Guys, we're talking to Bella. Keep it PG."

"Is this the famous Bella?"

"I think it is!"

"We've heard so much about you! We can't wait to meet you!"

_"I can't wait to meet you three either! I've heard only good things about you, and I hope you guys follow the Cullens back so I can talk to you in person!" _Bella spoke sweetly, _"Oh, that one is perfect. I want to buy that one. Baby, I need to go, I'll call you back when the surfing day is over. I promise!"_

"Who are you buying something for, baby?" Alice asked impatiently.

_"Baby, you trust me, right?" _The pixie grumbled. Of course she'd go for that.

"Of course I do."

_"Then it stays a secret."_ She could almost _hear _the wink Bella did.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"God, that was close." the brunette muttered against the display glass she nearly slammed her forehead through. "She almost caught me, mother!"

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist! Isn't this one just perfect?" Bella glanced down at the ring she was pointing at and smiled. It was a white gold ring with encrusted diamonds along the edges and sapphires along the inside. It had a large square where more diamonds were surrounding a larger sapphire.

"She couldn't wear that while surfing." She pouted. "Ah, I've got it. That one will be for when she isn't surfing. Then we'll get her another one that's smaller that she can wear when she is surfing. How does that sound? I need to get a job, asap."

"As if I'd let you walk out of this mall without these rings!" Renee hollered, scaring the woman who was helping them. "What is her ring size? It has to be _perfect!_"

"I actually don't know..." Bella scratched at her scalp, "But I know someone who could help."

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket where she'd stuffed it hurriedly, scrolling down her contacts when she opened it. She highlighted a name and it rang three times before the girl picked up.

_"Never thought you'd call little Rosie!" _Rosalie squealed, _"I figured you'd forgotten all about me and didn't love me anymore!"_

"I just haven't had a direct reason to call. I always get updates on you through Ali." Bella chuckled, "Hey, I need a bit of information."

_"Fire away." _She could tell that the blond was eager to help.

"What is Alice's ring size?" She managed to pull her phone away from her ear in time to hear Rosalie's scream of joy and elation.

_"OH MY GOD! YOU ARE GONNA...! REALLY?" _She screeched, and Bella had to laugh at the hilarity of it all. _"I want to be there when you ask her!"_

"Please make sure she can't hear you! I'd hate for the surprise to be ruined because you were screaming at me." The brunette chuckled, "What is her ring size, Rosa?"

_"She's a six."_ Rosalie whispered, and clicked her tongue, _"She's coming back, so I'm going to hang up now."_

"Alright. Bye." Bella snapped her phone closed and looked at both of the women who were looking at her expectantly. "She's a six."

"Excellent." Renee looked at the woman, "Ring it up."

"Yes, Ma'am." The woman walked briskly to the back room, and Bella wondered how much this would all cost.

"Mom?" The older woman looked at her daughter sweetly.

"Yes, darling?" She fluttered her eyelashes, and Bella held back her laughter.

"How much is this going to be?" She chuckled slightly, rubbing her arms nervously. Her brown locks cascaded around her shoulders, and she peeked up behind her infuriatingly long bangs.

"Does it matter?" She tapped her foot to the ground, her manicured nails tapping on the glass. It peeved her that her daughter would put a price tag on a symbol of love. "We're buying them. Get over it."

"But, mom, seriously..." She sighed aloud when her mother turned heated eyes on her. "You'd think you were asking her to marry you."

"Well, if it comes down to it, I will." She snapped. "If you end up chickening out, I will personally force you down on your knees and position you like a mannequin."

"That doesn't sound too horrible." The brunette looked down at her shoes, noting the scuff marks on them.

"I'll dress you, too." Chocolate eyes shot up in horror. "Speaking of, didn't we go shopping a few weeks ago? You look like a...surfer girl. Cute, but not all the time, sweetheart. Since we're here, we're shopping."

"W-What?" The twenty year old pouted, bottom lip sticking out. "That's not fair."

"Not fair? What isn't fair, Miss 'I'll spend over a grand on a couple of surfboards, but not on things I really need!'?" Renee grinned at her daughter, "As I said, you could buy whatever you wanted to, and I'm happy that you've got something to do with your time, but I wanted you to buy things you needed first. New, fashionable clothing is a must and need."

"You're just as bad as Alice."

"No, baby. I'm worse." She winked before looking at the woman who had returned with a bag, two small boxes inside it. "Don't say aloud how much I owe you. Just take the card and charge it."

"Yes, Ma'am." The woman did so dutifully and came back with a contract of sorts and a receipt. Renee signed off on everything and stuffed the bag into her purse, tapping it happily. She took her card back and thanked the woman before dragging her struggling daughter through the various stores around the mall.

"If you don't struggle, I'll let you pick out a pair of shoes you like." Renee offered, happy when Bella stopped pouting, and was now following her willingly.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Say, what are you gonna want to do when we get back to Forks?" Rosalie asked as she lounged next to her sister. The pixie had yet to say anything to anyone since earlier. She'd had a rather nasty bumping with Chelsea Volturi, and she was convinced she had a hex cast on her.

"Be with Bella." She scoffed, "What else?"

"Oh, I don't know." The blond flicked a piece of lint off her pants. "Maybe teach her to surf? Or, we could take a trip down to Cali for a week or something."

"I just want to see her." Golden eyes watered a little. "It's like a see-saw in my heart."

"I would say, 'I know how you feel', but I really don't, so I'm not going to say that. I will, however, extend an invitation." Blue eyes focused on the pink face of her sister. "Will you accept?"

"What are we going to do?" She looked up at her blond bombshell sister and licked her lips slightly.

"If you remember the conversation we had with Bella earlier, what is next Saturday?" She flicked her hair over her shoulder, an annoyed air surrounding her.

"Her birthday!" Alice stood up, nearly knocking into the blond. "Sorry."

"It's fine. That was the kind of reaction I was hoping for." She winked before shoving her sister to her car. "Let's go find something worth while at the mall...shopping center...whatever."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Wednesday – Surf Competition: Key West Day 8<strong>

"I'm not allowed to leave this sofa." Bella smiled sadly at her friend, "I swore to Alice that I would watch her today."

"Can I slum it out with you, then?" Angela asked before she threw herself down on top of Bella, laughing her ass off. "Wow, this is fun!"

"Right!" Bella grunted as she shoved the braided girl off of her, "Get your own sofa!"

"Why? You have a perfectly sized one right here!" She rollled off of her friend and laid on the spacious sofa, sighing. "Can I fall asleep?"

"Nope. If you're slumming it, you're going to help me." Angela's face snapped up to Bella's, confusion forming. "I want you to watch Alice. If you remember her form from before, I want you to take note of any change in it, and then tell me about it the instant you see it."

"Is there a particular reason we're doing this?" Angela adjusted her frames and sat up, elbows on her knees as her eyes trained on Emmett's hulking form on the screen.

"Her scores have been suffering. She hasn't...been herself, I guess." Bella's chocolate eyes darkened slightly. "I don't know exactly what's bringing her down, but I'm hoping that whatever it is doesn't affect her performance much more. I don't really care about her winning it. I just want her to come back to me in one piece."

"Alright." Angela glued her eyes to the flatscreen and took every movement of every Cullen into account.

* * *

><p><strong>Aren't you just excited? I totally am. :) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and didn't get put off by my earlier comments. <strong>

**I have decided to go with 'Rascal'.**

**Namaste!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Aloha. (Yay for new greetings!) Anywho, guess what! I know you guys have been waiting for this, so here it is. Don't be upset by what you read (at least not upset at me.) **

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Are you feeling alright?" A girl asked as she gently touched the tiniest Cullen's shoulder, "Do you need medical attention?"

"No, no..." Alice straightened up after having thrown up into a bush, "I just haven't been feeling all that well lately. I'm sorry."

"As long as you're alright." The girl smiled sweetly before turning on her heel, her ponytail swaying as she jogged away from Alice.

The pixie sighed as she walked back to where her family was, everyone eying her in concern. When she happened to catch Esme looking at her, she frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Her mother's green eyes narrowed before she swept her child into a hug, gripping her tightly.

"You've been throwing up." She whispered, "You barely eat now..."

"I guess my body is going through a dry spell. That's all." She shrugged out of the hug, "Don't worry."

"That's impossible." She muttered as she ran gentle fingers through her daughter's short black hair. "You're my baby."

"I know." The tiny surfer leaned into her mother's hands and sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Angela<strong>

"Holy fuck." Angela jumped out of her seat and rapidly turned pale. "What the hell?"

"What? Did you catch something?" The brunette stood up quickly, looking closer at the flatscreen, "I didn't catch anything."

"Bella, do you seriously not see that?" She pointed at Alice's surfing form, and chocolates narrowed in true confusion. "You can see her _ribs, _Bella. Her bones are visible."

"She isn't eating." She felt ashamed. Not of Alice, no, never at Alice. She should have noticed this. She should have noticed and put a stop to it. "Why didn't I see this?"

"It's hard to notice those types of things on someone you see every day." The braided girl bit her lip, scratching her forehead, "She looks really bad, Bella. Maybe you should call her and...I don't know...get mad at her?"

"She'll just turn it around on me." The brunette could hear whimpering from the kitchen and jumped slightly. "Ah, it's that time again."

"Time again? For what?" Angela frowned.

"Feeding time." Bella walked into the kitchen and came back with Sherlock, a bottle in his mouth. He worked the nipple furiously and pawed at Bella's arms as they held him. "Slow down, champ. You'll drown in the milk if you don't."

"Oh goodness, he is just...the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Angela gushed, digging through her bag and producing her camera. She let off a million flashes and got some amazing shots of a loving Bella with her baby Sherlock. "I'm going to print these out before Alice gets here. I'm sure she'd love copies of all the pictures I've taken."

"Speaking of..." Bella's eyes were on the flatscreen again, and she sighed. Alice wasn't surfing anymore. "Can you get my phone and speed dial Alice for me? She's number two."

"Yeah..." Angela did as she was asked, and handed it to Bella when it began ringing, "It's ringing now."

_"Hello?"_ Bella wanted to be furious. She wanted to scream and shout and bitch until she couldn't anymore. But she couldn't. She loved the girl way too much to lash out at her for something she probably had no control over.

"Hey, Ali." The brunette took a deep breath, "As I said I would yesterday, I watched your performance today. You looked amazing out there, baby."

_"Bella! Hey, baby!" _Alice gasped, _"I'm so glad to hear from you, baby. I miss you so much!"_

"I know. We'll be seeing each other soon... I was actually calling to ask you about something." She could hear Alice whimper on her end. "What's going on?"

_"What do you mean?" _The girl sounded slightly offended. As if she would do anything that would constitute a call shortly after surfing.

_"_I mean about your body_." _She could hear nothing from Alice, but she knew the girl knew better than to hang up on her. _"_I was watching, Alice. I could see your ribs and hip bones. Is there something I need to know?"

_"There's nothing to worry about, baby." _The surfer spoke softly into her phone, _"It's just been hard without you, and I miss you so much, but I promise that I won't look like that when I show up at your house."_

"You'd better not. If you do, I don't think I'll be willing to let you leave until you've put on some major weight." The main-lander sighed, "You are my world, Alice. Take better care of yourself for me."

_"I promise I will. I'm sorry."_

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Thursday – Surf Competition: Key West Semi-Finals<strong>

"Where the hell is Leah?" Bella grumbled as she munched on her bowl of cereal, "I haven't seen her in what feels like days."

"Maybe she's busy?" Charlie chuckled from his spot at the kitchen table, "Or maybe she has some new friends?"

"Not helping, sweetheart." Leslie chastised him, making him snicker. "Bella, dear, maybe she's sick? Have you called her?"

"She doesn't answer."The brunette frowned. "I've called over and over and she doesn't call back. Her brother won't even take a message for her. I'll give her a few more days and if she doesn't answer, I'll head over there and knock the door down, myself."

"Sounds like a plan." Wiping his mouth, Charlie stood up, washing his dish before disappearing into the bathroom. "Don't do anything I wouldn't!"

"Which isn't much." Bella muttered quietly, "I'm watching the Semi-Finals today!"

"They're already in the semi-finals?" The vet smiled, "I'm glad."

"You aren't the only one." Chocolate eyes lit up, "I can't wait for it to be over and done with."

* * *

><p><strong>Leah<strong>

"I can't avoid her forever, Seth. She's bound to come over here and demand to know why I haven't seen her." The amazon sighed, pulling her pillow over her head. "It's bad enough that it's semi-finals day and I'm not there to root Alice on with her."

"I know that things aren't...looking up, Le, but just think of it this way. When Alice comes back, not _if, __**when **_she comes back, you're going to be heartbroken because Bella won't be all that willing to hang out with you anymore." Seth laid next to his sister, "I'm only looking out for you the way you always seem to be looking out for me."

"Thank you." She threw her arms around her brother and sobbed into his shoulders.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"SEMI-FINALS DAY!" Emmett boomed from the hallway, waking the pixie who was cuddled comfortably in her blankets. "SURFER-ALI! WAKE UP!"

"EMMETT, SHUT UP!" Rosalie shouted at her husband, screaming pointlessly.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" That was Edward.

"Can everyone please keep it down? It is four o'clock in the morning. There is no real reason for you all to be awake so early." Esme glared at her oldest son and pointed to his bedroom. "Bed. Now."

"But mom..." He whined, only to be yanked back into the room by his hormonal wife. "Not fair! I wanted to be up already!"

"But Emmy, I'm still sleepy..." Rosalie whimpered to the bear, making him scoop her into his arms and take her right back to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>Renee<strong>

'Where is that Leah girl?' The mother of one sighed as she sipped her coffee. Normally she would have had breakfast with Charlie and Leslie and Bella, but she got up way too late to even consider breakfast. 'Jacob told me they were attached at the hip...'

'Hmm...she must be busy. Too busy to keep my baby girl company.' She mulled over this as she watched her daughter bottle feed her puppy, smiling. 'He sure is a cutie.'

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

'Day after tomorrow, Alice. You can go back to Washington day after tomorrow.' The pixie repeated those words over and over in her mind. It was a chant, a song, by now. It had been in her mind since Emmett had screamed the words 'Semi-Finals Day!' this morning. Two more days.

"Ugh. Can't this thing go by faster?" She glared at the water, "Look! Even the water is out to get me."

"Who are you talking to?" Emmett chuckled as he sat next to his sister on the sand. "You're looking a little crazy over here."

"Sorry...I'm just..." The tiny girl ran her hands through her hair, shouting and throwing her arms up in the air, "I can't wait until this is over, if I'm honest."

"I understand." The bear brother grinned, "You want your Bella-bear. That's all."

"Yeah, I do." She bit her lip, golden eyes swirling with a familiar emotion. "I need to see her."

"Well, surf your best today, and then tomorrow is the last day." The biggest Cullen patted his sister's shoulder, "If you get the best score today and tomorrow, I will personally pay for your ticket to Washington."

"You're on." She grinned, "First Class, Emmy."

"You got it."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella and Renee<strong>

"So...this is what you've been watching?" Renee commented quietly as she watched Jasper and Emmett surf against a dark haired man. "When does Alice come on?"

"She's next." Bella wouldn't move her eyes from the screen. She was watching Jasper's body as he moved powerfully out on the waves.

"Is there a reason you're burning a hole into the flatscreen?" The brunette's mother wrapped an arm around her shoulder, relaxing against the back of the sofa, "What did it ever do to you?"

"No, no...I'm watching so I can apply any little things I spot to my own surfing ability. I want to be able to tear up with my shortboard." She exhaled loudly, "I wish Rosalie was still surfing, I could definitely learn a thing or two from her."

"Oh, that's right. She's having a baby." The doctor smiled sweetly.

"Yeah." Bella's eyes sparkled when Jasper was shoved unexpectedly by a blur of black hair and a baby blue surfboard. "She's eager today."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

'Make this one good, Alice. She's watching. Everyone is watching.' The tiny surfer scoffed to herself, 'Even Satan himself is watching.'

She frowned as she did her thing out on the water. Her eyes dimmed as her mind left her, dazed. Her body automatically went on autopilot since she wasn't moving at all on purpose. 'Bella...'

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"What the hell is she doing?" Bella crouched closer to the flatscreen and shouted, "What the hell is going on?" It was then that the brunette looked at the pixie's expression. It was void of any emotion. It was empty. A blank canvas.

"That's not good." Renee leaned back against her seat and huffed, "Her head and heart isn't in it. She probably doesn't even know or care where she is."

Bella spun around to look at her mother. She'd seen it, too.

"Mom, what-" Loud, clustered screaming filled the speakers of the house, and suddenly, the cameras cut off. The screen was black for a few seconds, before a news broadcaster was there, informing the world that a disaster has occurred in Key West, Florida. "Fucking shit!"

"You can't say you didn't expect that." Renee's eyes narrowed. "One things for sure, we know who was injured."

"I just...I just fucking talked to her! What...? Ugh!" Bella stood up and couldn't be angry for longer than five minutes. She started to get worried. She hadn't seen the accident, she'd been looking at her mother. "Did you see what happened?"

"No...I'm just as in the dark about it as you are." The woman stood up, "But one things for sure. We need to get you to Florida. It's only a matter of time until they call you, anyway."

* * *

><p><strong>Esme<strong>

The mother of five looked up when she heard shoes on the glossy floor. She exhaled in relief when she saw her husband, and stood up, throwing her arms around him.

"How is she?" Tears streamed down the heart-shaped face as she nuzzled into his shirt.

"She's still unconscious." He spoke softly, "It's not as bad as we originally thought. She should be out of here in no time...if she wakes up."

"You mean _when _she wakes up." The two of them spun around to look at their blond daughter and her cousins, "You'll scare Emmett if you talk like that."

"So..." Esme turned her green eyes to her husband once again after meeting the gazes of Tanya, Kate, Irina and Rosalie. "What now?"

"Call Bella." Kate sighed. "That's the best thing to do right now. She was watching the competition live, she should know that Alice has gotten injured."

"Right." Rosalie pulled out her cell phone, waving off her mother-in-law. "Don't worry, I got this."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Hello?" Bella spoke evenly as she answered her cell phone, "Rosalie?"

_"Hey, Bella. Is it safe to assume that you already know what happened?" _The blond sister chuckled, _"Our little Ali just can't seem to surf a competition without a trip to the hospital nowadays."_

"Yeah, I heard. I'll be there day after tomorrow." The brunette sighed, "My flight isn't until tomorrow morning, and it's a horribly long flight from here to there..."

_"You're coming over here?" _Chocolates widened a little. _"Really?"_

"Yes, why would you assume that I wasn't? The love of my life is injured. No way in Hell am I going to stay away!" Bella scratched her scalp after grumbling a few words under her breath, "Anyway, I have to go to sleep if I want to get up early enough for my flight. Please be sure to tell her, whether she is conscious or not, that I am _very _upset at her, and she will certainly be getting the bitching of a lifetime when I am breathing the same space as she is."

_"I will be sure to tell her that. Can I add things to it?" _The blond snort-laughed, _"She could use a healthy dose of doom and fear."_

"Have at it." Bella grinned, "Later, Rosa."

_"Later, Bells."_

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday – Surf Competition: Key West Finals<strong>

_"Now boarding flight 1390 for Miami, Florida. Now boarding flight 1390 for Miami, Florida." _The brunette surfer looked up from her magazine and rolled it up, sticking it into her bag. She pulled out her ticket and walked to where a woman was taking tickets and scanning them. She patted her bag and was bouncing on the balls of her feet lightly.

"Hi." Bella glanced around to look for the owner of the voice that had piped up. "Down here."

She looked down and smiled, "Sorry about that. Hello to you, too."

"You're going to Florida, too, right?" Bright blue eyes seemed to smile at her, "I'm going to see my daddy there!"

"Are you flying by yourself?" Chocolates took in the little girl fondly...and a bit sympathetically. She had been flying alone since she was around this girl's age, maybe even younger.

"Yes. Mommy doesn't want to go see daddy, so she's having me fly by myself now that I'm a big girl." She smiled toothily. "Are you going to see your daddy, too?"

"Actually, I am going to see a friend of mine. She's in the hospital, and she's very sick." Bella handed the ticket woman her ticket and turned to watch as the girl did the same. "Do you want to sit next to me on the plane?"

"Yeah!" She cheered, pulling her little rolling suitcase along behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Emmett <strong>

"BELLA-BEAR!" The biggest Cullen crushed the brunette to his chest when she finally walked out of the ticket-only area. "OH GOD!"

"Emmett! Can't breathe!" Bella gasped as she struggled out of the bear's hold. "I'm tapping out, damn it!"

"Alright, alright." He released her, and grinned at her excitedly. "It took you forever to get here!"

"I would think so. The flight itself was eleven whole hours, and then the delay yesterday...these people need to get their shit straight." The brunette grumbled. "How is everyone?"

"As good as they could be, all things considered..." He trailed off, his eyes taking in every detail of his 'little sister's' person. "Have you been working out? You look...fit."

"I have been doing a little exercising, yes." Chocolate eyes sparkled, "You don't look bad yourself, Emmy."

"Well, let's hit the road. I know everyone is dying for me to take you home." He slung a meaty arm around her slim shoulders. He led her out of the airport and to Rosalie's car, which had been waiting in the parking lot. She threw her bag into the trunk and looked over at Emmett, who had been watching her.

"Can I drive?" She asked seriously, and the only thing the big boy could do was grin and toss her the keys.

* * *

><p><strong>Jasper<strong>

Rosalie groaned as she laid on the sofa, feet up on her brother's lap. "When is she supposed to get here again? She's so freaking late!"

"Her plane was delayed a whole day, Rose. Give her some time." Edward sighed, leaning over to rub the blond's feet. She whimpered and threw him a thankful gaze. "Besides, she isn't going to want to come here right after getting off the plane. She's going to want to go to the hospital first. Hoes before bros, and all that."

"Makes sense." Jasper nodded to himself, "We're going to see her under such horrible circumstances. Again."

"Well, trouble just seems to follow everywhere we go, so it's not going to be that big a deal to Bella or Alice." Rosalie reached up behind her, hands going to the side table to grab a cookie out of an open package. "I'm running out of cookies."

"I'll get you more." A tired voice piped up as the owner came into view. Kate's face was pale, and she looked horrible. "I've got nothing else to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella's POV<strong>

When we showed up at the hospital, the only thing I could think of was Alice. How she was doing, what the doctors thought. I still didn't even know what kind of injury she had, but I couldn't find it in my heart to care about the injury itself. I wanted to see her breathing, alive.

I'd asked Emmett if I could drive because I needed to do something to distract myself. The flight over had been torture enough, but you can only look at the same pictures so many times before you just don't want to look at them anymore. I wanted to see the real Alice. The one that made my heart thump like wild and my body tingle.

He shot off directions as I expertly maneuvered the car, mindful of speed limits and such. He would often shoot glances at me, and pretended not to notice. By the time we pulled up to the hospital, visiting hours were very much over, but that wouldn't stop me. I was a woman on a mission.

When I threw the car in park, I tossed Emmett the keys and climbed out. He jogged to catch up to me, because let's face it, I was running. When the doors opened and cold, sanitized air blasted me, I was thrown back into a memory.

I had felt this exact same way when I'd come back to the hospital after Alice's assault in Washington. Only this time, I hadn't been wheeled in with her the first time, and I knew nothing of what had happened to her.

My sneakers squeaked against the floor as we rushed over to the counter. An elderly woman was sitting behind the counter, a novel in hand. She glanced up at us, and smiled at Emmett.

"How can I help you?" She stood up, placing her book down.

"I-I..." I couldn't find the words. I just wanted Alice.

"We're here to see my sister Alice." The bear of the Cullens put his arm around my shoulders, no doubt trying to comfort me in any little way he could. "She was admitted a few days ago."

"Yes, Alice Cullen." The woman flipped through her charts, "She is in room 347. But visiting hours are over at eight." She looked up at the clock, and I was sure she was doing that to make me look and realize that I was over three hours too late. "You'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Ma'am, this is my sister's fiancee, Isabella. We'd mentioned her coming over a few days ago. We didn't know when she would be arriving-" Emmett looked crushed. I didn't blame him. I'd hate to be him...or any other person on the planet, right now.

"I'm sorry, but she isn't related to the patient, she can't go in." Her green eyes narrowed. "That is the policy."

"I'm marrying her!" I couldn't help when my temper snapped and I hollered at the woman. It wasn't her fault at all...but I needed someone to blame. "I haven't seen her in over a month! She's been away from me for five and a half whole weeks, and you're going to tell me that I have to _wait longer _to see her?"

"Bella, come on, don't fight with the nurse." Emmett gripped me by my elbow firmly, pulling me along to the exit. When we were outside, I started to cry. I wanted Alice now! "I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be screaming bloody murder in a hospital lobby. Let's get back to the villa, and you can sleep until morning. I know you're tired."

I just nodded, and walked after the big frustrated bear. I would have a lot to answer for in the morning if the nurse or Emmett let any of what happened tonight slip. But I honestly couldn't care right now. These past couple of days has been nothing but frustrating, and tiring, and just plain horrible. I could do with a bed to sleep in, having been camped out in an airport or plane for the past two and a half days.

Hell, my frustration began even before getting on the plane at the Sea-Tac airport. That morning as I was climbing into the Lamborghini, Leah showed up. For the first time in what felt like a week. I shuddered as I remembered our conversation, and couldn't help but feel a little bit of anger bubble up in my stomach.

_"Where are you going?" Leah eyed my bag, "And for how long?"_

_ "Had you been here yesterday, you would have known. Alice got into another accident, and she's in the hospital." I answered her stiffly, still a little put off by what she'd said the last time we'd seen each other and her absence. "I'm flying to Florida in an hour."_

_ "Off to her rescue again, are we? Good to know that not even distance could kill it." Her brown eyes were sad, wounded even, though she had a soft smile on her face. I didn't bother to try to figure out what her issue was. I knew I wouldn't like the answer at all. "Have fun in Florida."_

_ "I would ask if you want to come along, but since you seem so set in being a semi-bitch, I'm not going to extend the invitation." I threw my bag in the passenger's seat before looking at her again, "Call my cell phone when you're over whatever it is that's crawled up your ass."_

_ "Bella, come on!" Leah shouted suddenly, making me jump almost out of my skin. "Can't you see what's happening? First time she got hurt, you ran to her side. Same thing now? Are you a fucking puppy or something? Can't live without her, right? I'll bet you what you paid for my surfboard that she was having the time of her life in Florida, surrounded by all the little surfer girls! What makes you any different from a fling, other than you've both become obsessed?"_

_ "I don't know where all of this is coming from, because no friend of mine would ever say anything like that to me about Alice." I hissed at her, glaring as best I could. Who was she to talk to me like that? "You don't know a damn thing about what's happening between Alice and I. Don't even pretend that you do. Like I said before, when you get over yourself, call my cell phone and be ready to fucking apologize."_

_ I climbed into my car, slamming the door shut before I sped off toward the airport. Just another damn thing to take up space on my already crowded mind. Fuck. _

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie<strong>

"Honey, I'm home!" Everyone's heads snapped up to the front door, where an exhausted looking Isabella Swan stood, her bag dropping onto the floor. The reaction to such presence and words was instantaneous.

"BELLA!" Edward practically dove at the brunette, followed by his blond boyfriend. She yelped when they dogpiled on her, almost screaming in terror when Emmett fell atop of the three of them, "Oh God, Emmett! We can't breathe!"

"Sounds like a familiar sentiment." Rosalie chuckled, "You don't ever seem to need to when you're sucking my brother off."

"That's gross." Kate giggled, "So you're Alice's Bella."

"Got that right." The brunette blushed before gasping, her face paling, "Okay, seriously, guys I need to breathe or I'll have an attack."

They were off of her faster than anyone thought possible, Emmett grabbing her and throwing her onto a cleared sofa. Edward ruffled through her bag and brought her inhaler to her, shaking it. She shook her head and smiled.

"I don't need it. You guys gave me a scare, though." She shrugged, "Oh well."

"How was Alice?" Rosalie asked, blue eyes centered on the brunette on the sofa.

"They didn't let me up to see her." She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, "They said visiting hours are over and that I'm not allowed after visiting hours since I'm not family."

"WHAT?" Blue eyes were harsh as the hormonal blond shot to her feet, screwing her face up when she felt a wave of nausea hit her. "Not cool."

"It's fine, it can wait until tomorrow." Bella yawned, eyes watering, "God, I'm tired."

"Let's get you settled in, then. Esme is still at the hospital with Carlisle, so she isn't here to cook anything for you to eat. If you want, I can make you a sandwich to tide you over until morning." Jasper stood up and looked at Edward, "Take her to Alice's room?"

"Yeah. Make her a sandwich now, wifey." He slapped his boyfriend's behind playfully before grabbing Bella's duffel bag and leading the exhausted brunette up the stairs to his baby sister's room. When they entered, Bella took a deep inhale. The room smelled just like Alice. "Jasper will be up with your sandwich in a few minutes. Feel free to change into sleeping clothes or whatever. I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"You got it." Bella smiled sleepily as she fell into the unmade bed and curled under the covers, falling asleep before Edward even closed the bedroom door. Her sandwich would stay uneaten.

* * *

><p><strong>Esme - Tuesday<strong>

"Is she still asleep?" The woman peeked inside her daughter's bedroom, to see Bella still asleep, snoring very lightly. "She's been out since last night..."

"She sleeps like the dead." Emmett cackled, "I've been up and around all day, shouting, yelling, laughing loudly, throwing things and crashing into the walls and she still wouldn't wake up. The only thing I haven't tried is shaking her."

"Let her sleep." Rosalie glared at her husband, "She hasn't had a good night's sleep since Friday."

"Alright, alright." He chuckled, "In the meantime, should we head off to bed ourselves?"

"It's only eight o' clock." The blond raised a brow at him, "Why should we...Oh. _Oohh..._OH!"

"That's my girl!" Emmett lifted his blond wife into his arms and all but ran for their bedroom, slamming the door shut. Esme only shook her head at her son's antics and sighed, walking down the stairs to see her husband walk into the house.

"How is Alice? Who is with her?" The caramel haired woman often worried about her baby at the hospital, so she always wanted someone with her in case she ever woke up.

"She's fine. Stable." He hugged his wife, "Jasper and Edward are with her tonight."

"Alright." She snuggled into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Bella is still asleep."

"Still? She's been out for...around twenty hours...that isn't good." He was about to go upstairs when Alice's bedroom door opened.

"EMMETT! TOO LOUD!" Bella shouted into the hallway, "KEEP IT DOWN!"

"Nevermind." Carlisle chuckled. "Same old Bella."

"Yes." Green eyes softened when she looked up the stairs at her daughter's girlfriend. "Same old Bella."

* * *

><p><strong>So now...we've come to an exciting point in the story. Aren't you all happy? I love you guys a lot, just so you know. Especially those who get on my case about stuff I don't even consider. ;) <strong>

**Aloha, Namaste!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Well, a lot of things are happening! Good things, more than likely! The end of September is around the corner, and soon comes Halloween! What are you guys dressing up as? **

**Have a good read, fellows.**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella - Wednesday<strong>

"Shiiit, I've been asleep for way too long." The brunette yawned as she climbed out of Alice's bed, "But it was nice while it lasted."

"You're already awake?" Jasper peeked into Alice's bedroom and grinned, "So you've become an early riser?"

"Of course." She grinned back, "Got used to it when you guys were there."

"Whenever you're ready to go, we'll head over to the hospital." Jasper ducked out of the room and closed to door, leaving her to her morning musings again. She shrugged and grabbed her duffel bag, yanking out the clothes she had in her bag, frowning.

"I could have sworn I packed more normal clothes than this..." She groaned aloud, pulling at her hair with both hands. "I knew my mother would have done something like this!"

She placed her hands down on the scraps of cloth her mother had repacked for her. "Nothing but dresses, heels, bathing suits and board shorts! Not a single pair of jeans or underwear!"

Snatching her phone off of the dresser, she flipped it open and pressed speed dial three. It rang a few times before her mother groggily answered the phone.

_"Hello?"_

"Mother, you will be the literal death of me!" Bella whined into the mic, "Dresses? Heels? Not even a single tee shirt or jeans? What happened to my vans? I packed them up, because I wanted them!"

_"I'm sorry, baby! I just wanted you to wear cute clothes for when you saw Alice again. That, and you're in Florida, honey. On the Keys. No way in hell was I going to let you strut your stuff out there in jeans. No ma'am." _She giggled, _"Besides, I know Alice will appreciate my work when she sees you. It had been hard enough to get you to wear those cute purple sandals when you left for the flight."_

"Great. Thanks mom." Bella grumbled, "I've gotta get ready. Call you tonight."

_"Bye, baby. Have fun." _

'Yeah. Fun. Seeing my probably comatose girlfriend in the hospital most definitely is my definition of fun.' Bella thought glumly as she snapped her phone closed.

After a few moments of debate, she sniffled and grabbed the dress closest to her. It was a pretty pink and white floral beach dress made of cotton with flower patterns on it. She grabbed a pink bikini set and stomped off to the attached bathroom, showering quickly, but not too quickly. She took a few moments to smell her love's shampoo before freaking herself out and all but falling out of the shower.

She dried off and dressed quickly, smiling at how the dress hugged her tight curves. She'd gotten thinner and leaner, and she looked great. She ran a brush through her hair as she blow-dried it and curled the ends with her fingers.

She bit her lip as she eyed herself in the mirror. She could use a little something extra...she supposed. Of course, her mother had packed her a small bag full of makeup products that were brand new. She would tap into that today.

She took a black eyeliner pencil and a tube of expensive mascara and applied it. She also used a little pink-tinged lip gloss. Nothing too over the top.

She snatched the pink and white heels, pulling them on, scowling. Since her mother had found out about her surfing, she pushed something on her. If she could surf the ocean with grace, she could walk in heels.

She took a deep breath before snatching her bag and carrying it with her down the stairs. Rosalie was sitting in the living room with Emmett, going over a booklet of baby names that she liked, and they weren't paying any attention to her at all. She walked almost silently to where the front door was and was busted when Jasper walked out of the kitchen.

"Wow, Bella. You sure know how to dress up." He eyed her, and she glared at him.

"This wasn't my choice!" Rosalie glanced over at the shouting brunette and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. It was a funny sight, indeed.

"Bella is wearing a dress!" Emmett's jaw dropped.

"And heels!" Rosalie's blue eyes teared up. "She's all grown up now!"

"Hey, come on, guys." The brunette pouted, "My mother sabotaged me! I have nothing normal to wear! Only dresses and heels!"

"Then when she wakes up, Alice will think she's gone to heaven!" Jasper giggled.

"Take me to the hospital now, Jazz!" Chocolates narrowed. "Don't make me hurt you. I may not look it, but I can kick serious ass in heels as high as this and higher."

* * *

><p><strong>Carlisle<strong>

"As you can see, Bella, she's been unconscious like this for a few days now, and we don't really know how to break her out of it." the blond father sighed aloud, running his hand through his hair. "She can wake up. She has a sense of her surroundings. She just won't wake up."

"She will, though." Bella sat on the edge of the bed where her girlfriend was lying. "Or I'll kick her ass from here to the foot of the throne of Hades."

"She has some major wounds on her back from hitting the reef rather hard. It sliced clean through the skin, and we're worried about the cuts getting infected." He rubbed his chin in thought, "Let me show you. I have to rebandage her anyway."

He gently rolled her over onto her side and took a pair of scissors, cutting away the bandages. When he pulled the protective gauze off the cuts, Bella gasped and lightly touched the skin that wasn't inflamed or hurt. "It looks like someone too a sickle to her back!"

"Probably feels that way, too. I did my best to stitch them all up, but they still look horrible." He frowned. "Can you hand me the salve that's on the shelf there? It'll kill off any pain she's in."

Bella rushed over to the shelf and snatched the jar off the shelf, running back to Carlisle. He thanked her and pulled a glove on, asking her to open the little jar. She unscrewed the lid and held it out. His fingers dipped into it and came out with the white substance, smearing it evenly on her shredded back. "She's going to be upset about the scars."

"More scars." Bella bit her lip.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

When Carlisle left the room a few hours back, Bella was at a loss. What do you do with your time when the one you love is unconscious and you're in a room with her? She dug into her bag and produced a surfing magazine. She's subscribed to a few of them a couple of days after Alice had left Washington.

She glanced up at the waxy figure of little Alice Cullen and sighed. She opened the magazine to a random article and read the title of it.

_'The Untamable Heart of Alice Cullen' _Bella snorted. Who wrote this trash? She looked at Alice once again and grinned. That was definitely something she could do to pass the time.

"The Untamable Heart of Alice Cullen: Article by Patricia Skwarsky." Bella spoke clearly and loud enough for Alice to hear her. If she had heard, she made no indication. "For the past fourteen years, we've watched the little spitfire of The Cullen Five grow into a woman proudly, earning trophy after trophy, award after award for her surfing skills and exceptional beauty."

"What is one thing we haven't seen from this talented surfer, you ask? Why, a lover!" The brunette giggled, "We've seen her hunk of a brother Emmett Cullen and his wife Rosalie get all cuddly on the sand, and even her brother Edward Cullen got a few smooches in with Jasper Hale at a few competitions. So where is all the love for Alice Cullen? Perhaps she is waiting for the right person to come around? We all know we are waiting eagerly for her to announce a hint of a love interest! Alice, get on the ball, girl!"

The pixie visibly sighed on the bed, her arms moving slightly. Bella smiled. She glanced at the next column, "How to get noticed by The Cullen Five'. That's just stupid. I won't bother reading that one, even to myself."

* * *

><p><strong>Emmett<strong>

"So how was she?" The bear asked as he dropped down onto the sofa Bella was relaxing on. "She looks like the dead, doesn't she?"

"She didn't look that way after I washed her." Bella bit her lip and sighed, "She was sweating like crazy. She even looked a little waxy to me, but I tried to get a little more color in her."

"Oh, Bella." Rosalie smiled at the girl, "You did some nurse training back in Forks or what?"

"No, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how to sponge bath a person." She laid her head back on the soft sofa. "I just hope she wakes up soon."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Thursday<strong>

"I have yet to see any kind of super change in you, Ali." Bella whispered as she kissed the girl's warm hands, "I want you to wake up soon, love. I need to hear your voice and see your beautiful eyes."

When there was still no reply, Bella sighed, leaning back into the recliner Emmett had brought in for her. She bit her lip and looked out the hospital room window. She could see the blue ocean, and it made her heart flutter. She hadn't been out surfing since before Alice's accident. That was over a week ago.

She stood up, kissing the pixie's forehead softly. "I love you. I'll be back to see you tomorrow."

The brunette moved away from the bed quickly, slinging her bag onto her shoulder and opening the hospital room door, glancing back at her love. She sighed, and felt her heart twinge painfully.

She was supposed to be here with Alice, not running off to the beach as soon as she felt like it...but what good would she do sitting in this room with Alice, who was still very much catatonic? She knew the tiny surfer would not appreciate her sitting in this room rotting away on a recliner and being bored.

When she exited the hospital room, Emmett was suddenly there, grinning at her.

"So...where are you going?" The bear waggled a brow at her, and she laughed, hands clutching at the hem of her dress.

"I want to go to the beach." She tilted her head as she turned her chocolates to his baby blues. "Feel like going?"

"Why not? Let me find Jasper, he's out here, too." He poked his head into the men's bathroom and shouted, "JASPER! BELLA WANTS TO GO TO THE BEACH! LET'S HIT IT!"

"You don't have to yell, Emmy." Bella shook her head, chuckling. "He can hear just fine."

* * *

><p><strong>Jasper<strong>

"Alrighty, Bella." The blond man unfolded a beach chair and sat it down a rather far ways away from the water. "You're all set."

"Wait, did you bring Alice's board?" Chocolates looked up into confused ocean blues.

"Er...yes, it's in the Jeep. Why?" He eyed her suspiciously, but shrugged when she smiled. She turned around and ran back to where Emmett was, pulling out his and Jasper's surfboards. She poked him slightly, and he turned around, grinning.

"Can I help you, little lady?" He went back to pulling Jasper's board out of the back of the Jeep, and she watched him get it down. "Jasper already set out your chair, right?"

"Yeah, he did." She pursed her lips, "Can you hand me Alice's board?"

"Err...why?" When she didn't answer, he just reached into the back and pulled it out, handing it to Bella, "Gonna try to learn to surf on your own, little Bella-bear? I wouldn't recommend learning with that beast."

"It's okay." She smiled at him again cheekily before turning around and taking the board with her, grinning the whole way to where her chair was. She slipped her purple sandals off, putting them up on the chair. Jasper was getting his board from Emmett and wasn't watching her.

She pulled her blue dress up over her head and dropped it onto the chair atop of her sandals and looked out onto the water, her fingers absently brushing over her tattoo. She looked back, and could see that Emmett had turned on the huge sound system in his Jeep, music blaring onto the sand, and out onto the ocean.

_'You're the boy who murdered love...' _Bella's head snapped to the Jeep, where Emmett was frowning. He tried changing the song, but it refused to be changed.

"Rose and her stupid music." He grumbled before shrugging it off and grabbing his board. Bella followed suit and lifted the bright blue board over her head, running toward the water in her bright red bikini. "Bella, what are you doing?"

"Having fun!" Bella splashed into the water and began to paddle out to a calmer area of water. Jasper was already freaking out that she was in the water. Now, he was practically shitting bricks that she had managed to paddle a shortboard to flat water. Emmett was standing next to him, doing the same. They looked hilarious. "Are you guys getting out here or what?"

Emmett snapped out of it first, and paddled out as quickly as possible.

** '**_You're the boy who murdered love, Cold hands and a heart of stone, You're a midas in reverse, You're the king of pain and hurt, And the stars turn into fire, And the roses change from red to black, You encourage my desire, then you put the arrow in my back, and I'm, Shot, shot, shot, shot, shot like a bullet...'_

Bella couldn't help but shake her shoulders with the song and laughed when Jasper was still gaping at her. When they caught up to her, she tilted her head to the side in an adorably innocent fashion.

"Ready?" She ran a quick hand through her hair before paddling to a relatively large (for the area, anyway.) wave, and hoped up to standing, shouting in excitement as she rode the wave out, turning and going back the other way, past Emmett and Jasper.

"Wha? Jazz? Did? What?" The bear of the Cullens couldn't seem to find the right words to make an actual conversation.

"She...she..." His blue eyes were wide with shock. Isabella Swan was surfing. She was _surfing. _"Oh my god, she is _surfing!_"

"So I'm not really going crazy or seeing things." Emmett screwed his eyes shut tight and opened them again, blinking a few times. No, she was still surfing. "Ali is gonna flip."

"I'm not telling her." Jasper crossed his arms over his chest, his heart still thumping painfully under his ribs. "No way in hell."

"I'm sure as hell not telling her!" The oldest Cullen child squeaked, "She'll hurt me down there and accuse me of being a lying, blasphemous and totally idiotic mental patient. No way am I going to do that."

"Hey guys." Bella had paddled out to where they were again, a huge grin on her face, "The surf here isn't too bad, but it's not that great, either."

"Swan, please explain your sudden ability to surf." Jasper's eyes centered on Bella's face, and she squirmed uneasily. "Because you shouldn't be able to do any of this, especially not on a board like that."

"That's the thing." The brunette cracked a small smile, "I learned how to surf in five weeks. It was a really fast process, by the third week or so I was using these." She tapped her hand on the board lovingly. "Last week, I went and bought myself a pair of sweet boards. A short and a fish."

"Who taught you?" Emmett asked curiously, a little over the whole 'Bella can surf' thing.

"Leah and Seth. They were really patient with me, and if I'm honest, I spent almost all of my time at the beach learning. I didn't stop for anything, unless my mother would come to town or the surfing competition was on." The brunette shrugged, "I went to parties and stuff, so it wasn't all beach, though."

"I don't know what to say..." The blond boy smiled a little at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. "I kinda want to see Alice's reaction when you tell her."

"Oh, no." She laughed, swatting at Jasper, "I'm not going to tell her. She'd kill me."

"Wait, you aren't going to tell her?" The black-haired brother gaped, "You can't hide this from her! She loves surfing, and she'll bring you along. If you think staying on the beach while other surfers are surfing is fun, you're dead wrong!"

"Yeah, I agree with Emmett. It's best you tell her." Blue eyes regarded her gently. "Besides, I think she would be ecstatic that you could surf with her. With us."

"That's another thing." Bella bit her lip, "I am going back to Forks after this. I'm not going to surf with you guys outside of Washington."

"Why not? We could be The Cullen Six and a half!" Bella cocked her head in confusion at Emmett's 'and a half'. "The baby. Duh."

"Oh, yeah." the brunette blushed, palming her forehead because she'd forgotten about the pending bouncing baby that was currently swimming in amniotic fluid in the bombshell Cullen surfer. "Sorry if it seemed like I forgot."

"So, Bella." the girl's face turned to Jasper, who was smiling. "Care for some tips? I noticed something about your feet placement. Would you mind if I helped you correct it?"

"Correct away." She grinned. "I could always use help to get better."

"That's the spirit!" Emmett slammed her on the back, sending her face first into the water. She broke the surface, gasping and glaring at the bear, who had began laughing hysterically.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday<strong>

"Of course, the little bear said," Bella turned the page of the book she was reading, "I would love to join you for tea and cake. I especially love the red velvet that your mother makes, little bunny..."

A shuffling alerted the brunette to movement on the bed, and she looked up to see Alice smiling a little, her hands smoothing out the sheets subconsciously.

"The turtle should be here soon enough, little bear. Before he gets here, we should blow bubbles in the afternoon sun, and perhaps play in the stream..." The reader could only sigh in happiness. Since she'd started coming in and reading to Alice, there had been more and more movement from the girl. That in itself made her insanely happy. "Little bunny, I have taken the chance to invite the little mouse to our party. He has promised to not steal crumbs from the table if I give him half of my slice of cake. Imagine that! A little mouse eating a whole piece of cake and a half! He would be bigger than a rat after he'd eaten it all!"

A knock at the door made Bella pause, looking up from the colorful picture book. It was Carlisle and Esme. They went over to Alice, smiling happily when they could see how relaxed and happy she was at that moment. She turned back to her book and read out again, "Oh, look! The little turtle and the little mouse have arrived! Hurry! The party hats and matching napkins must be set out! I know that the little mouse would be upset if the table did not match the decorations!"

Esme giggled lightly at the words. She could tell who in the room would be the 'little mouse' and couldn't help herself.

"What is this? The little mouse's scarf has tangled with her ears and whiskers! Little bunny, please help me help her!" Bella chuckled at the picture of the two fuzzy creatures attempting to help a little mouse out of it's scarf.

"Bella," The brunette looked up at the doctor, who had spoken to her softly. "We are very glad that you are here doing this for her...for us."

"It's no problem, Carlisle. I'll do anything you need for her." She smiled lovingly at the bedridden and barely responsive girl, "I love her."

"We are well aware." Esme smiled, "You know, she's been getting better with every day that passes that you've been here with her."

"I'm glad. I can't wait for her to wake up." She sighed, closing the book softly before placing it on the table next to Alice. "She doesn't deserve to be here, hurt and living her days out in unconsciousness."

"She should awaken fairly soon." Carlisle guaranteed, blue eyes shining.

"Thank you." Chocolate eyes took in the sleeping figure and she smiled, leaning down to place soft kisses on her forehead, eyes, nose and mouth. When she was finished with her usual goodbye, she nodded at the parents and walked out of the room, back to the beach. She couldn't go back to the villa so soon. She needed a little time to herself to think about Alice.

She glanced at her phone's clock and sighed.

_'Happy Twenty First Birthday, Bella.' _She thought to herself sadly.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Saturday <strong>

"Yeah, thanks mom. I'll be home in a few days." Bella chuckled as she pulled her dress to cover her face, the sun glaring down at her. She squirmed on the sand, unable to really get comfortable. "How is Sherlock? You've been feeding him, right?"

_"Of course I have! As if I could let a cute little thing like this die of starvation!"_ Renee clucked, _"So, baby girl, what are you going to do later today? Go bar hopping? Strippers? Or maybe get your first prostitute?"_

"Gross, mom." The surfer couldn't help but laugh at her mother's words, "You know I'll be back at the hospital on my self-appointed sentry duty again. There's nothing I'd rather do."

_"I know." _The mother smiled on her end of the line, _"You have another surprise waiting for you when you get home, darling!"_

"What is it this time? A mail order bride?" Bella snorted, laughing.

_"Of course not! It's another car." _The surfer choked, _"I picked this one out personally."_

"A-Another car, mother? It's bad enough I have the Lamborghini! I attract so much attention with that beast! What did you get me this time?" the daughter groaned, squeezing her eyes closed.

_"I think I should be buying you a house or something...but I wanted to get you another car. Is that so bad of me?" _She could practically hear and feel Renee's pout. _"Stop whining. It's already sitting in the yard next to where your Lamborghini is supposed to be parked. You left it at the airport, right?"_

"Yes. I would never trust anyone with it, but the airport security are more than capable of watching it. Considering I'd parked it right next to the security booth." Both females laughed heartily at that. There was no way a person could hot-wire the thing, much less steal it. It was a foreign car, for God's sake.

_"Well, I bought a Ferrari." _She ignored the pained squealing from her daughter, _"I bought a nice car for myself, too. Anyway, if you don't like having both of them, you can give one to Alice as a pre-wedding gift."_

"That isn't a bad idea..." The brunette was currently pulling her hair out, jumping when her phone was buzzing. She had another call. "Hey, mom, someone's calling me. Probably more birthday wishes. Can I call you back?"

_"Sure thing. Call me soon, baby!" _Renee cheerfully said her goodbyes before hanging up on her daughter, who just looked at her phone as if it had offended her. She shrugged and clicked the talk button to accept the other call.

"Hello?" Bella winced when the sun hit her eyes directly.

_"Bella!" _Carlisle.

"Yes? Is something wrong, sir?" The girl sat up instantly, her heart clenching. "Is Alice alright!"

_"She's perfectly fine..." _He chuckled, _"She's awake, and asking specifically for you. She refuses to speak to anyone else. She knows you're here."_

"Alright, I'm on my way. I'm just a few blocks away." Bella stood up and dusted herself free of the sand that clung to her, "Tell her to sit tight."

_"I will." _The doctor laughed before hanging up. Did no one remember what it was like to say 'goodbye' or 'thank you, bye!' ?

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

As soon as the pixie had opened her eyes, she had felt an intense stabbing in her eyes, courtesy of the sun. someone had left the curtains open, and whoever did it was in trouble.

"Ugh." The girl whispered, whimpering when her throat ached. She glanced around the room, and sighed. A hospital room, of course. She clicked repeatedly on the button on the side panel and frowned. She clicked it again and again, and still, nobody showed up.

'This is like that show The Walking Dead, isn't it? Everyone is a bunch of mindless, brainless zom-' Her train of thought was cut off when she saw a book sitting on her bedside table. She picked it up and opened the cover, smiling.

_'Alice's Hospital Book. Do NOT Read to her! Thank You. Bella.' _Of course Bella had written that little note in a thick black sharpie across the baby blue inner cover. Hard to miss that way.

Her door opened and a nurse entered, looking at her with a smile. Alice didn't want to see a damn nurse. She wanted her father or Bella here.

"My dad...?" Alice winced again, coughing harshly. The nurse handed her a cup with water and turned around to call Dr. Cullen. When he swept in, she took his appearance in. Messed up, greasy hair; bags under his eyes. He probably hasn't rested well at all. "Daddy."

He threw his arms around his baby girl and openly wept. After a few seconds, Alice's mother came in timidly, throwing that out the window when she saw Alice's bright golden eyes. She ran over to the bed and practically dove onto it, laying kiss after kiss on every surface of the teenager's face and head.

"Bella.." Alice shook the book that was in her hands, "She's here, isn't she?"

"Yes, she's here." Esme wiped tears from her eyes, "Of course she'd be here. She must have fallen asleep somewhere in the villa...I didn't see her last night."

"Can you call her over? I really want to see her." The tiny surfer pleaded with her father, who pulled his cell phone out and called the brunette. He left the room to talk to the girl, leaving Alice and her mother alone together.

"How long have I been out, mommy?" Alice snuggled into her mother's side and smiled happily, "My head kinda hurts."

"You've been out for a little over a week, darling." Esme kissed her hair, "We've been waiting for you to wake up."

"Well, I'm awake now. Where is everyone else?" She glanced around, sad that she didn't see any of her siblings at all. "Have they been here to see me today?"

"They...hadn't come to see you at all, sweetheart. They were afraid." She whispered it softly, not wanting her child to get upset after just waking up. "They'll be here in a few minutes after I call them. I figure you'll want alone time with Bella before being openly tackled by your brothers and sister and cousins."

"Good plan." Alice giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, "Do you think I can have some more water?"

"Yes, darling, let me get that for you." The caramel haired woman stood up, taking the cup and leaving the room to get more water for her daughter. Carlisle came in shortly after she'd gone.

"She's on her way." Alice couldn't help but squeal and clap her hands excitedly, "I need to go to the bathroom, daddy. I don't even want to know how they've been taking care of me, but I need to pee now."

He nodded and helped her off the bed, leading her to the joint bathroom, leaving her there on the toilet alone to do her business with the door closed.

* * *

><p><strong>Muahahahahahahaaaa! They've still yet to come face to face! HAAAA! (Imagine the huge grin on my face as you read this.) <strong>

Sorry about cutting it short, but the chapters, I believe were cut off at an even margin. Not even I knew that they wouldn't meet this chapter. I was almost certain that they would. Oh well. Next chapter, I suppose. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you guys have a good night and an even better Thursday. I'll be working all day until I can drag my happy ass home on a stretcher. Joy!


	29. Chapter 29

**Namaste!**

**As you know, we are coming to a close fairly soon. I am glad to have brought to you such entertainment, and can't wait to start posting up Arc 2 of Sea Foam. You guys are gonna love it, I promise you. It won't be a separate story, it'll just be added onto this one. NOTE: This is not the last chapter. **

* * *

><p><strong>Bella's POV<strong>

She's awake. Oh, God! She's awake! Finally! I could barely believe it. How long had I been here that she hadn't been able to open her gorgeous eyes? That I could openly talk to her, but she could not respond?

I hailed the first cab I could, telling him to get me to the hospital in a hurry. He didn't question it, and did as I asked, he even floored it for me a little, and I was eternally grateful. I really needed to get to the hospital to give a certain tiny pixie-like surfer a piece of my mind.

When we pulled up to the hospital entrance, I threw him two twenties and told him to keep the change. I didn't want to wait any longer, and when I saw the woman at the counter from the first night I'd come in, she smiled at me, and motioned to the elevator doors.

I smiled back at her and sprinted instead to the stairway, racing up step by step. I could only imagine what doing this a few weeks ago would have done to me. Possibly would have killed me. By the time I got to the third floor, I was glistening a little, but I wasn't dead tired yet. I pushed the hallway door open and walked briskly, not running (I'd gotten in trouble for running before on false alarms.) but walking very...quickly.

That's when I reached her door. Just past room 346, but before 348. Room 347. I was panting slightly, and knocked on it softly, almost wearily. What will she look like now? How will she react to seeing me after being unconscious for so long?

Carlisle opened the door suddenly, and I almost fell forward into his arms at his happy expression. She really was awake. Truly.

I cleared my throat a little, wincing because I was still a little winded, and he let me past before I could shove by him. I had to will my feet to move forward. It was almost like walking through cement, it was really hard to do.

Eventually, after contemplating giving my legs double-bitch-slaps, I was moving. One foot in front of the other. Left. Right. Left. Right.

A curtain was what blocked my view of her at first, and I grunted in annoyance. It was hard enough to do this with the added obstacles! Seriously!

I shoved it aside, nearly ripping the damn thing off the rings, and I looked toward the bed. There she was. Her golden amber eyes were so full of light and happiness, there was no mistaking that she was really happy to see me. No mistaking it at all.

My legs seemed to want to move forward on their own now, because before I even knew it, I was standing at her bedside, hands reaching out to cup her childish, but still mature face. Words were not needed now. Hell, they may even be unwelcome.

I leaned forward, gazing even further into butterscotch eyes, and I moved closer, capturing her lips in a searing kiss, my heart thrumming in my chest, beating rather harshly against my ribcage. My stomach tightened, and a tingling happened behind my knees that made me want to fall to the ground, bringing this angel along with me. I don't think she'd even mind if that were to happen.

Tears streamed from her beautiful eyes, and I couldn't help but break our kiss to kiss her tears away, wiping slowly and lovingly. She gave me a gentle nuzzling against my nose, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Alice..." I whispered so quietly, I almost doubted she could have heard it, but when she shivered, I was certain she'd heard me. "I have never been so scared. Never felt so helpless..."

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, tugging me closer. I stiffened, and pulled away slightly. She whimpered louder, crying. "Please, don't leave."

"I would never." I shook my head, "But I want you to understand something."

She pulled her face away from my shoulder, eyes full of sadness and happiness and everything in between. I wanted her to know how her getting hurt affected me. How it affected her family, too.

"You've made me feel things that I've never felt before, Alice. I've felt a love that I'd only ever read about in my books...made me feel a helplessness that I'd only felt when I'd lost Holmes to sickness." I swallowed hard, the corner of my eyes tingling. The tears were coming. "What would I do without you? If you weren't on the face of the earth, laughing and smiling? Where would my joy come from? Where could I put all of my love? I would never find another like you. I wouldn't know what to do...except follow you."

"No, Bella-" She wanted to hush me and my words up. She didn't want to hear about how I would rather kill myself than live without her. I wanted her to know. I needed her to know.

"Alice Cullen, be quiet." I hissed at her, and she shivered. "You need to be more careful. Now more than ever. What happened out there, on the waves? That was selfish of you."

"I didn't mean to get hurt, Bella! I never meant to lose my concentration!" She sighed into my neck and I growled at her.

"Not meaning to, means nothing. You carry my heart, Alice. You carry my soul and my spirit. If you go, I go, too! Think about that the next time you want to act stupid." I tilted her head up with one of my hands. I pressed my lips as gently as possible to hers, loving the whimpered moan that came up her throat. Her hands moved to my shoulders, holding herself up.

I couldn't let things get out of hand, especially in the hospital. I pulled away, hugging her tightly, careful of her back. "You know Rosalie is going to kick your ass, right?"

"I figured." She chuckled, hugging me tighter.

"Kate, too."

"She's passionate." The pixie shivered. "Protect me from one of two?"

"Nope. I may even join them in kicking your little ass." If I could, I would have been purring. "Though, I may not be kicking your ass, per se. I may just be...pounding on it..."

"Then, I look forward to your treatment of me." She giggled lightly.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Monday – Tuesday<strong>

The days seemed to blur together for Alice Cullen and Bella Swan. Days of the same activities. Read a book together, cuddle on the hospital bed. Eat nasty hospital food. Talk about how much they missed each other.

One subject in particular seemed to catch Alice's attention.

"Leah's been acting weird this past week." Bella sighed as she put another half spoon of chocolate pudding in her mouth. "She flipped out one day, and then she just stopped hanging out with me. And then, the morning I was leaving to catch my flight, she shows up and wants to know where I'm going and how long I'm going to be gone. What business is it of hers, anyway?"

"She's been acting strangely?" The pixie on the bed frowned, golden eyes worried. So Leah _had _fallen for Bella while she was away. It wasn't just a feeling in her stomach. That feeling had manifested into something true. She bit her lip and looked down at her lap, "Do you have any idea why she would act this way?"

"I know why she's acting this way." The brunette grinned, waving her spoon around, "I may not be a rocket scientist, but I'm not an idiot. She's crushing on me."

"And you've continued to hang out with her as if nothing was happening?" Alice's short hair seemed to raise up on her head. "Were you leading her on?"

"Of course not! I figured it would go away if I talked about you often enough. It backfired a little, though, because now I think she's jealous of you." Bella bit down on her spoon. "She still loves you, though."

"Once an Alice Cullen fan, always an Alice Cullen fan." She giggled, fanning herself dramatically, "I'm just amazing...but seriously, you should speak to her when you get the chance and clear things up."

"I figured things would clear themselves out..." Chocolate eyes flicked up to unreadable butterscotch. "I mean, I'm with you right now, aren't I?"

"You have to let her know specifically that you are with me indefinitely. You are not available, and you won't ever be." The tiny surfer shrugged, pouting slightly, "Unless you like her back and maybe want her a little and like the attention?"

"You know that isn't it. I love Leah, just not the way I love you, and definitely not as much. It's like comparing a lighter flame to the sun. I won't bother continuing the comparison."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Wednesday<strong>

"So I am home free?" The tiniest Cullen asked suspiciously, "Just like that? No, hey! Surprise! We have to keep you here for another week!"

"No, nothing of the kind." The nurse smiled kindly, "We know how busy it can get for you and your family. We just kept you here for the past few days to make sure you were really doing alright, that it wasn't just a one-day thing."

"Ah. Great! I can't wait to leave!" She squealed, "I want to get out and surf some **real **_**waves**_!"

"You aren't surfing!" Bella shrilled, "You'll be lucky if I even let you secretly admire a surfboard!"

"Aww, don't be like that, Bellaaa!" The pixie whimpered, "You know I love to surf! You can't take it away from me!"

"I can if it means you'll be safe." She raised a brow at the tiniest Cullen. "Are you questioning my ability to get what I want?"

"No." She shook her head quickly, amber eyes watering, "Would you really not let me surf anymore?"

"I know it's not the surfing that you really want." Alice's eyes widened in shock. "You just want to leave Florida."

"Of course I just want to leave Florida." The nurse chuckled at their banter, but said nothing. It wasn't her business, after all. "I can't wait to be back in Forks with you."

"You aren't coming back to Forks, sweetheart." The brunette bit her lip. "You're headed off to the next hotspot to heal more and get ready for the next competition. You're family said so."

"But, but-"

"No buts." Chocolate eyes narrowed before softening. "I won't be responsible for taking your dreams away...though, you will have to be more careful. If you get hurt again, I will seriously kick your ass."

"You wish!" Rosalie popped up from behind the brunette, making her jump slightly before laughing loudly. "Hey there, Surfer-Ali! Are you almost ready to hit up Cali?"

"I'm not going." Bella growled, stopping when the hospital door swung open again, revealing the rest of the Cullen Five.

"Yes, you are!" Emmett barreled over to the bed, jumping on it and making it squeak in protest before hovering over his sister and shaking the bed, making it sway back and fourth, side to side in a very scary way. Alice laughed, shoving him off before he could break it. "You can't ditch us now, Ali-Cat!"

"I'd never ditch, Emmy." She sighed aloud, her right hand running through her pixie cut hair, "I just don't know the next time I'll be allowed on a surfboard with my injuries, so I was thinking of staying with Bella."

"Not happening." Bella crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm a little torn between kidnapping you and never letting you see the ocean, but that's impossible." She herself couldn't stand being away from the ocean for too long, she would never make Alice do that. "And I want you to go on to other competitions with your family. Live this out as far as you can, for as long as you can. I know it's hard to be separate, but that's how it goes."

"Or, you could just come with us." Edward chuckled. "We could always use a cheerleader to teach Rose a thing or two."

"Or, we can go hang out with Bella until the week before the competition and practice at First Beach until the time comes for us to go." Emmett grinned hugely. "Ain't that right, little sis?"

Bella blushed, and Alice smiled and nodded. Alice didn't know that Emmett had directed that bit at her and her secret surfing skill.

"Anyway, it's been great hanging out with you guys for this past week and a half or so..." Bella chuckled, "But, as I've mentioned to you guys...my flight home is tomorrow morning. I'm sorry that we hadn't gotten to do much together."

"Don't worry about it, Bella-bear." Emmett frowned, a very sad expression taking over his normally cheerful face. "You could always come with us."

"I know it." The brunette winked at the bear brother before looking at Alice, "Are you ready to go back to the villa? I'm exhausted."

"That's because you weren't the one in the bed for the past week or so." She pouted, "Suffering."

"I was suffering at your bedside, you ungrateful midget."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella - Thursday<strong>

"See you soon, guys." Bella turned to look at Alice, who was in tears. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"You're leaving again." She whimpered, throwing her arms around her girlfriend. "I love you. Why won't you let me leave with you?"

"You need your family more than you need me right now." The brunette whispered into her love's small ear. "I will _always _be here for you. I swear. I just...need more time. I need to sort some things out before I'm ready for you to give everything up. Can you see things from my perspective?"

"In a way." She sighed, nuzzling closer. "I want you."

"I know, baby." Bella laid a gentle kiss to the girl's head, "I want you, too. Want, need, and love you. I'll call you when I get home. You'd better be relaxing when I call. No monkey-business."

"That's Emmett's thing, not mine." She giggled sadly. "Fuck, I'm in love with you."

"Ditto. Except I'd have to say, 'I'm in fucking love with you'. Would you accept that?" Chocolates swirled with toffees before she smiled.

"I would accept nothing less." She beamed, and Emmett piped up from behind the couple.

"You have to come down to Cali with us in a few months!" He threw his thick arms up, "Me, Jazz, Eddie and Ali are gonna try out for American Ninja Warrior!"

"What?" Bella's head snapped to Emmett then back to Alice, who blushed. "American Ninja Warrior? Are you kidding me?"

"We are doing it for charity." The pixie squeaked, glaring at her brother, "You weren't supposed to say anything!"

"Well, now she knows." He grinned. "She's gotta be there to cheer us on, ya know."

"Maybe." Bella sighed, snatching her bag off the glossy floor. "Be careful you guys. And remember what I said, Emmett, Edward and Rosalie!"

The three of them looked at each other quizzically and turned back to the brunette, "Don't say a damn thing to anyone!"

"Never dream of it." Rosalie smirked. "Now get the hell out of here."

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie <strong>

"Okay, so now that she's gone, are we ready to get crackin?" The blond shouted, making Alice jump nearly out of her own skin.

"Ready to what?" The pixie spun around to look at her sister, near crying now. "She just left and now you're ready to move on?"

"Alice, stop crying already!" Emmett huffed, "If you start crying, you won't be able to pack your shit fast enough. The sooner we get going, the sooner you get to see Bella again. You forgot it was her birthday on Saturday."

Everyone froze. They forgot her birthday.

"SHIT!" Alice started wailing then, making the people around them openly gawk. "MY BELLAAAA!"

"Emmett, you idiot!" Edward threw his arms around his sister and calmed her down instantly, "Ali, we have to pack if we want to be back in Forks soon."

"We're going to Forks?" She whimpered, and every one of her siblings nodded.

"We can make it in two days and nine hours if we drive nonstop." Jasper pulled a map out of his pocket, "We can also cut the time down if we don't take any unnecessary stops or detours."

"Then let's get this party on the road!" Rosalie snapped, everyone turning and sprinting to the parking lot. They had an hour to pack their stuff and leave the Florida Keys.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Friday<strong>

"Thanks for watching her, boys." Bella gave a lazy salute to the fat security guards who probably hadn't taken their eyes off the Lamborghini since she'd left it. "Hope she was well behaved."

They didn't respond, so she rolled her eyes and threw her bag in the passenger's seat, climbing in and turning the car on. She backed out and drove off, dirt swirling up from under her tires.

When she finally _finally _arrived home, she threw the car in park and jumped out, deciding to wait until morning to look at the new car her mother had bought her for her birthday. She could deal with it tomorrow...or later today. It was morning, after all.

She kicked the front door open and found her mother sitting on the sofa, Sherlock feeding from a bottle and grunting in his adorable way.

"Hey, mom." Renee looked up and smiled.

"Hello, darling. Go to bed. I know you're dead on your feet." The brunette could only nod and walk heavily up the stairs, falling into bed fully clothed.

* * *

><p><strong>Emmett<strong>

"Where the hell are we?" the bear bellowed at his brother, who was fiddling with the map and the GPS. "If you got us lost, I swear I'll hurt you!"

"I didn't get us lost." He grinned, "We are in Tennessee already. We're making great time!"

"Dude, are you kidding? We should be on the other side of Missouri by now!" Emmett pressed the gas a little more, his Jeep roaring as it pushed over 100 mph. "Come on, baby, show daddy why he picked you!"

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie<strong>

"I think Emmett is a little excited to be back on the road." Alice giggled as they watched the Jeep go much faster than it had been going before. "You'd think he was the one in love with Bella."

"He's got a big brother crush on her, yes." The blond grinned, "I've got a big sister crush on her, too, so I can't bitch about it."

"When are you going to want to switch out?" The pixie glanced at their GPS and frowned. "We're well on our way. We should be in Missouri by nightfall."

"Can you drive the P.M. Hours?" She turned her blue eyes to her sister, who smiled.

"I can be nocturnal, yes."

"Excellent."

* * *

><p><strong>Esme<strong>

"Oh, my..." The mother of the Cullen Five sighed, "Have you gotten us lost, dear?"

"No, darling. I would never get us lost..." Carlisle chuckled nervously, "Think of it as an adventure, if you will. A small detoured adventure."

A buzzing noise came from between them, and Esme picked up her cell phone answering it sweetly, "Hello?"

_"Uncle Carlisle has gotten us lost!" _Tanya laughed, _"Katie is freaking out."_

_ "Am not! We lost Emmett and Rosalie!" _The blond middle child was screaming in the background. _"Aunt Esme, have you heard from Carmen and Elezar?"_

"They said they would meet up with us in Washington." She smiled, "They were going to fly there. The adoption went through perfectly."

_"YES! ANOTHER DENALI GIRL!" _Irina was screaming in the background, probably behind Kate, as she sounded farther away. _"Now I won't be the youngest!"_

"Anyway, I should get back to the map and GPS. Your uncle is dead set on getting us to Europe at this rate." She chuckled, and leaned over to kiss her husband's cheek. "Be sure to keep on our tail, girls."

_"Yes, Ma'am." _The three said in unison before the call was disconnected.

* * *

><p><strong>Leah<strong>

"She's home." The amazon stood up from the sofa and looked at her brother, who was panting and sweating. "I saw her Lamborghini drive past the ice cream shop."

"Great." Her dark eyes narrowed, "I'm going over."

* * *

><p><strong>Renee<strong>

"Hello, Ma'am..." Bella's friend Leah was standing in the doorway when the mother answered her knocking. "Is Bella here?"

"Yes, she just came in a few hours ago..." Renee cradled Sherlock in her arms, watching as the pup yawned hugely. "She isn't taking visitors right now, she's exhausted from her flight and is sleeping it off. You can come back tomorrow, though."

"What is this, a hospital?" Leah snorted unkindly, "I wasn't asking if she was asleep or not, I was asking if she was home."

"What a rude tongue you've got in your mouth." The mother was definitely put off by this girl. She'd been so nice before... "What's happened to you that's got your panties in a mega twist?"

"Did _she _come back with her?" Dark eyes flashed, and Renee's lip curled slightly.

"If you are talking about Alice, her girlfriend, then no. She did not come back with her, but I am expecting her in a few days." Leah's shouting must have called attention, because Charlie came up behind Renee with Leslie in tow, and the amazon immediately backed up.

"What is the problem, Leah?" Charlie had his cop personality up.

"N-Nothing." She shook her head, dark hair whipping back and forth, "I am sorry."

"Leah, wait!" The girl was about to turn and run when she felt a hand grasp her arm. "Hey, I just got back...what's up?"

"What's up? What's up? Is that all you can say to me?" The native girl yanked her arm away from the brunette paleface. "I was worried about you and wanted to make sure for myself that you were alright. Apparently I don't have a right to worry about you. You had enough fun with your girlfriend, right?"

"Leah, listen to yourself." Bella snapped. "You sound _jealous._"

"Maybe because I _am _jealous!" She whipped right back, her body tense as she tried to keep from running away. "I fucking _love _you, Bella, but of course you wouldn't care about that. It's all about _Alice_ right? _Alice Cullen _this, and _Alice Cullen _that! Don't you...didn't you ever think that I couldn't give an honest rat's ass about _**Alice Cullen?**_ I got so sick of hearing about her all the time!"

"Leah, stop it!" The pale brunette snarled, "You weren't in love with me before I met Alice! You weren't in love with me when Jake was being an asshole to me, or when you were psyched about Alice and her family teaching you a few tricks on the board! When the hell did our friendship manifest into some sort of one-sided relationship? Or are you just the type of girl who wants what she can't have?"

The sound of flesh hitting flesh was loud in everyone's ears, and Bella bit back tears as she kept her hands to her sides. She didn't want to show any weakness in front of a girl who would strike her for speaking her mind. She was about to open her mouth and ask Leah to leave, when a fist connected with her cheekbone.

"LEAH!" Charlie shouted, the native girl spinning around quickly and running away from them and into the trees. She was probably high tailing it to the reservation. "Bella, are you alright?"

"She packs a punch." The brunette whimpered, cradling her face as tears were forced out of her eyes. "Shit..."

"Let me get some ice, get her on the sofa, Charlie." Leslie shot off, rummaging through the kitchen, Renee dragging Bella to the sofa with Charlie's help. He looked close to running after Leah and arresting her.

"You didn't deserve that at all." Renee growled, "I should have made her leave when I had the chance, and now? My baby is hurt!"

"It's not that bad, mom. She's just...she's hurting more than I am." The surfer grimaced, "Ugh, I feel like my face is shattered. It's not bleeding, is it?"

"No, of course not." Leslie laughed, pressing ice onto the girl's swelling cheeks. "She landed you good, though. I'm surprised you were able to stay on your feet after that."

"Yeah, well..." Bella looked on the coffee table where her cell phone was sitting, "Mom, can you answer that? If it's Leah, I don't want to answer it."

"Alright." She picked it up, glancing at the I.D. Before flipping it open. "Hello? Yeah, it's Renee."

_"Oh, hey, Renee. Where is Bella? I tried calling earlier, but she didn't answer, and she never called me when she was supposed to get home." _Alice sounded worried to Renee.

"Yeah, she passed out when she got home. Didn't even give me a hug or anything. Little bugger. And what does she do as soon as she gets up? Gets into a confrontation and gets slugged in the face." A loud gasp and shout came from Bella's phone, and the brunette groaned aloud.

"MOM! You aren't supposed to tell her about this!" Bella hissed, her cheek swollen visibly.

_"WHO DID IT? WAS IT JACOB?" _Alice was positively livid on the other side of the phone.

_"WHO ARE WE KILLING?" _That was Rosalie. Hah.

"It was Leah Clearwater." Renee grinned evilly. "She hurt Bella. Slapped her once, and before she could blink, she slugged her face. Ran off right after that."

_"THAT BITCH HAS GONE TOO FAR!" _Jesus Christ, Bella was almost afraid for Leah. It wasn't even Alice who had screamed that last part. It was Rosalie.

_"Is Bella alright?" _The pixie asked calmly, probably biting her lip as she asked. She had a habit of doing that.

"Yes, she's alright. Still conscious and everything. Her cheeks are swollen up, probably going to bruise because of the force Leah had used, but she's alright. At least, that's what Leslie says." She winked at the vet, who smirked at kissed Charlie's cheek in comfort. He was almost purple.

"What is it with everyone and hitting me? Seriously? Am I a poster for an 'abuse me' campaign?" Bella grumbled with a whine when she pressed the ice to her face again, "Shit, this hurts. Can I have some asprin?"

"I'll get you something even better." Renee dug through her purse, still chatting with Alice and her almost rabid sister. She tossed a little pill bottle at Bella, who looked at the drug name. Vicodin. "Just one, sweetheart. I'd hate for it to agitate your asthma, much less you get addicted to it."

"Is that safe?" Charlie's brow furrowed as he tried to think if Vicodin was an illegal drug. So far, it wasn't. His face was returning to its normal pink shade now, and Leslie was glad.

"I wouldn't kill my own child." Renee stuck her tongue out at Charlie who grumbled about 'hair-brained, childish mothers' and looked at his girlfriend. "Just don't climb into a car or anything, baby girl. It'll impair your motor skills further."

"You're too kind." Bella grinned as she threw back one pill and dry swallowed it. "Can I have some water?"

"Yeah, let me get it." The male of the four of them stood up and all but ran to his kitchen, coming back with a huge glass of water. "Drink it all."

"I'll have to pee really bad later." She sighed. "Worth it."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"I fucking knew something like this would happen." Rosalie growled, her knuckles abnormally white as she gripped the steering wheel tight. "I knew _Leah _was going to be a problem."

"Yeah, I didn't..." The pixie was honest. She had remembered the conversations they'd ever had, and the girl had seemed nice enough. Almost as nice as Angela...but now, maybe not so much. Hell, she was ranking neck and neck with Jacob Black. She was definitely on her shit list. "I knew she liked Bella, but I never thought she'd outright hit her. It was never Bella's intention to make her jealous..."

"No, she should know that no matter what, you never lay a hand on a woman." Rosalie grit her teeth, "I haven't even called Emmett to tell him."

"I don't think that's a good idea..." Alice whispered, too late, as Rosalie had already clicked on her bluetooth.

"Emmett." The car dialed Emmett's number, and when his voice came on inside the car, Alice jumped. She reached for the volume knob and turned it down almost all the way. "Hey, baby, I've got news."

_"What kind of news? Am I on speaker in the car?" _He chuckled, _"I'd hate to say something dirty for little Ali to hear it on accident."_

"You are on speaker, yes." Rosalie bit her lip hard. "I've got Bella news."

_"She's already home, right? I was wondering why nobody called to tell me anything. Jasper has been driving us up the wall with his constant 'twitter' moments. Time for some real news." _The bear of the Cullens laughed from deep within his chest, sighing when he was finished. _"Well, then. Let's hear it!"_

"Edward, grab the steering wheel." Alice spoke clearer than a crystal, confusing everyone.

"Emmett, Bella got into a scrap with that Leah girl from La Push." Rosalie growled, "She wasn't throwing any punches, but Leah got some in on Bella. Her face is swollen up."

_"WHAT?" _Emmett bellowed loudly, the Jeep swerving dangerously in front of them.

"I told you to get the steering wheel, Edward." Alice sighed.

_"__**Who **__hit our Bella-Bear?" _He snarled, and they could hear Edward trying to calm both Emmett _and _Jasper down.

"Leah Clearwater. Only female in the La Push surf group." Alice bit her lip and turned her golden eyes to her sister, who was glaring at the road. "I can't wait until we're in Forks. I'm gonna kick that tramp's ass until she's on her knees begging for forgiveness."

"That might be a little on the illegal side." Alice muttered quietly, reaching for her cell phone. "I'm going to talk to Bella right now, no mentioning us and Forks, please."

* * *

><p><strong>Hoho, trouble in Forks, yeah? I'm not supposed to update today, but just for shits and giggles, I did. Ooh, and let me tell you, I have been through hell and back today, and I sure didn't like it. I hope you enjoyed reading this update, because the pause is coming up pretty soon. Send me love.<strong>

**Namaste!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Namaste! **

**So...I'm sorry for freaking everyone out. I've just been plain exhausted for the past week, what with working 9-5 everyday and school and roller derby. It takes a lot out of a person, and then I had a bit of a medical emergency, so I was in pain for a while. It's all better now, and my dedication to everything I do is showing through. I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I think I might have. Haven't read through it yet. **

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Saturday<strong>

"Why do I always have to deal with this shit? Seriously?" Bella grumbled as she pulled her bright yellow shortboard from the roof of her car, "I should have just stayed in Phoenix with mom. Way too much bullshit happens here. I mean, I didn't _ask _to get crushed on. I didn't _ask _to be born into money. I certainly didn't _ask _to be pretty."

"Hey, babe." Another stray male. Great. "Nice ride."

"Nice? My Lamborghini isn't just _nice._" She growled, "It's fucking amazing, and if you don't back the fuck off, I will call my father, the Chief of Police in Forks. See how you like it downtown."

"Never mind." He scoffed and walked off, probably to bitch at his friends about how much of a bitch Bella was. Oh well. She didn't need anymore backstabbing, horrible and bitchy friends. She had enough of those to go around.

She spotted Angela out on the surf and grinned. Even if the world was ending and Alice wasn't around, Angela would never bitch at her the way everyone else seems to.

She ran out to the waves and jumped into the water. Thinking could wait for later, when she wasn't able to have fun anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>Leah P.O.V.<strong>

I can't believe I hit her. I actually hit her. I never meant to. NEVER. I would have never hit her, much less threaten her if she hadn't pushed my buttons the way she did. I know I don't have a right to like her or love her the way Alice loves her. I know that I also don't deserve to look at her as she has fun with Angela out on the surf...but I can't help it. None of it.

I didn't mean to fall for her. Hell, I tried really hard to get over her. I don't know where the hell this attraction came from. I mean, before Alice left, I didn't like her as more than a best friend. Even when she left, it stayed the same...but all of a sudden, just _hearing _Alice's name leave Bella's beautiful pink lips bothered me so much. It made a hot heat swirl in my stomach, and sometimes...I had to make excuses to leave her side.

I never wanted her to find out about my crush on her. I was supposed to be her best friend. The one who she could gush about her true love to. The one who would always have an ear open and a shoulder available when she wanted to cry about something. It wasn't fair of me to want more than that. Just the fact that she loved me enough to be my best friend should have been good enough for me.

But it wasn't. Was it so wrong of me to want to be the one for Bella? The one who could hold her at night, and bring her to the highest places without even touching her sexually? How could wanting a deeper, more meaningful relationship be wrong? Alice wasn't here for her when shit hit the fan. Alice wasn't here when she needed someone. Alice wasn't here. She wasn't, and I was. Don't I deserve a couple of brownie points for that or something?

I was supposed to be tipping the seesaw, with Bella balancing in the middle, and Alice on the opposite side. She was supposed to fall to my side...but she wasn't. She was reaching for the lighter end. The end with the smaller girl.

Life wasn't fair. You couldn't always get what you wanted. But you always got what you needed, whether you appreciate what life gave you or not.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice and The Cullens and Denali<strong>

"Alright, everyone! You know where your rooms were! You're in charge of your own things!" Esme shouted from cupped hands, "Nobody is going anywhere until morning, Alice, you may as well hand me those keys now."

"Mooommmmm!" The pixie whined, "Why notttt?"

"Because Bella is probably passed out, and you need to get your stuff out of the moving van. Get to it!" Esme smiled at her child, "Besides, Vi is exhausted from the almost three day non-stop drive. Get her bed so she can sleep."

"Okay." Alice dragged her feet, but moved as quickly as possible to get all of her things out of the van and into her bedroom. When she put Violet's bed down, the pup curled onto it and collapsed. "And she's OUT!"

"Katie? You and your sisters can have the rooms that are empty on the third floor. Carmen and Elezar will be here in the morning, so they can settle in when they get here." Esme was fully in-charge mode.

"Alice, help me get your car down!" Emmett shouted from downstairs, and the pixie perked up instantly, dancing down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong> Bella - Sunday<strong>

"Dad, I'm leaving!" The brunette shouted from the door at her father, who was still trying to pull himself up out of bed, "Don't be late for work! You too, Leslie! Mom, I love you! Don't kill Sherlock, please!"

All she got in response was a trio of grunts. Ah, the vocal variation of the elderly.

She laughed and climbed into the Lamborghini, making sure that her surfboards were stuck to the roof securely. Wouldn't want any accidents.

After a rather boring drive to SandShack Deli, she climbed out of the car and, swirling the keys of her car on her finger, walked in.

"BELLA!" Jessica shouted from behind the counter, a huge smile on her face, "Where have you been girl? I've been making your breakfast sandwiches for nothing the past week or so!"

"Yeah, Alice got a bump on the head in the Key West competition. Had to go down and see if she was still breathing. Same old song and dance." She chuckled, her brown eyes soft, "She was so happy to see me, too...when she woke up."

"I would be too if I didn't see you for a whole month!" Jessica's eyes narrowed, "Leah's been through here recently. Asking for you."

"I doubt she's been asking for me. Maybe asking about me..." The blond's eyes widened when Bella swiped at her face, makeup smearing when she touched it. "She landed a few good hits on me the last time I'd seen her."

"She hit you!" Jessica shrilled, scaring the early birds that were eating. "MIKE!"

Micheal came in from the kitchen, ruffling his mouse brown hair in confusion, "Is something wrong, Jess?"

"Look at Bella's face!" She snarled, gripping the knife in her hand tighter. "Just wait til I see the little bitch! I'll kill her with this knife!"

"Jess, you'd go to prison for that. Why not settle for just scratching her face with your claws?" Mike chuckled as he slowly took the knife from his girlfriend's hands. "Do you want to start Bella's breakfast sandwich now?"

"Y-Yes." She spoke as clearly as possible through clenched teeth.

"Thank you." Bella's head snapped to the side when she saw a yellow Mercedes speed by the SandShack Deli, in the direction of the other side of town. "What I wouldn't give for that to be my baby's Mercedes."

"You know, it could be her." Mike's eyes twinkled, "That would be amazing."

"It definitely would be." Bella whispered, taking the bag that Jessica handed to her. "If anyone comes looking for me, tell them you haven't seen me. I don't want anyone to find me. Just in case it is my _father or mother or Leslie_, though, tell them I'm at the beach again."

"Another surfing morning?" Mike grinned at the brunette.

"Of course! You know it's a great day for surfing, you've probably seen the surf on the way in to work." Bella gushed, eyes sparkling brightly, "And it is the hour of the daily surfer. Nobody sane would be up at four in the morning for a breakfast sandwich."

"True." Jessica guffawed, throwing her head back, "Oh, God, I missed you, girl! I remember when you first came to work here, you HATED surfers! You didn't see the point to it, and now, I'll bet you can't say a negative thing about it!"

"You got that right." Bella waved the bag over her head, "I'm heading out. Remember, tell no one of our encounter! Just pretend you didn't see me!"

"Later, Houdini!" The two of them chimed together, all smiles and waves.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice and the Cullen Five<strong>

"Just knock on the damn door, Alice!" Rosalie snarled at her little sister, who was fidgeting in her flats and cutely done hair and clothes. She fiddled with the white bow in her hair and her button up collared dress.

"I will, I just want to look my best!" She squeaked, touching her swept bangs again, nervously. "What will she say about us being here and not in California?"

"We will never know if you don't _knock on the damn door._" The blond bit her tongue to keep from screaming aloud. "Please knock."

Emmett reached over the two women and knocked firmly on the door, two sets of shocked eyes glaring up at him.

"What? You two were arguing about who would knock, so I did." He shrugged, "I want to see Bella, and am not willing to wait all day for you two to grow the balls to just knock."

During their staring at each other, the door swung open, revealing a bathrobed Charlie and Leslie standing right behind him, peeking over his shoulder shyly.

"Who is it, Charles?" Renee asked as she shoved the man aside, jaw dropping when she saw the adorable pixie standing in the doorway. "ALICE! Come here, baby girl!"

Renee threw her arms around the little woman and squeezed her tightly, "Oh God! I heard about your accident and was freaking out! I was so glad to hear that you were alright."

"T-Thank you." Alice gasped against the woman's chest, "Can't breathe!"

"Renee, the kid can't breathe!" Charlie pried his ex-wife's arms from around the tiny surfer and sighed, clicking his tongue at her. "We didn't know you would be here today! How long are you guys sticking around?"

"For as long as she wants us around." The pixie blushed, "Where is she, by the way? Still knocked out in bed?"

"Typical Bella, sleeping the morning away!" Edward laughed, throwing an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders.

"Actually, you missed her." Leslie smiled, "She left about..." She glanced down at her silver watch, "Three and a half hours ago."

"Three and a half hours ago?" Rosalie spun around in a circle twice and clicked her heels together three times, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home!"

"I'm afraid you aren't in OZ, girl." Renee chuckled, "She might be at SandShack. She loves the breakfast sandwiches. I ought to know, she runs the card up with those things."

"Thank you." Alice spun around and shoved past her siblings. What was Bella doing up so early in the morning?

* * *

><p><strong>Jessica and Micheal<strong>

"Welcome to SandShack Deli!" Jessica sung from behind the counter, ducked under it to collect more ham and cheese. "I'll be with you in a moment!"

"Take your time." When that voice piped up and registered in Jessica's mind, her head slammed up, making her see white for a few seconds, "Are you alright?"

"Jesus!" Jessica stood up, wincing and blinking her eyes harshly, "Give a girl a warning or something!"

"Well, I figured it was either talk or pounce over the counter..." Alice snickered behind her hand, "So, where is Bella?"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"What are you doing here? Want to hit me some more?" The brunette frowned at her ex-best friend, gripping her board tighter in her hands. "Because I gotta say, I don't think I want to take another beating that I didn't deserve."

"I know that you didn't deserve it, Bella, and I'm really really sorry!" Leah dropped to her knees on the sand, head down, "I didn't mean to hit you, Bells, and I promise...whatever is going on with me, I will fix it. I will make it go away. It has no place in our friendship, and I'm so sorry that I ever raised a hand to you..."

"Hmm..." Bella looked down at Leah, who was looking up at her with sorrowful eyes. "Fine! Get your ass up and give me a damn hug."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice <strong>

"I have...no clue where she is." Jessica bit her lip. She also, while performing this small act, gave herself away to Alice and Rosalie, who had showed up a few minutes after she and Alice had begun talking. "She was here a while ago...but she stepped out already."

"You can tell me, Jess." Alice's caramel eyes seemed to melt, and Jessica felt a cold sweat break out across her forehead. "Come on. I want to see my Bella...Won't you tell me where she is? It would be so great to see her again."

"I-I don't..." Jessica spun around when Micheal walked in from the kitchen, apron stained green. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, I was just..." He looked past his girlfriend to Alice's near smoldering gaze. "Oh, you're here looking for Bella."

"Don't say anything!" Jessica hissed at him, her eyes wide. "Sorry!"

"I don't get what the big deal is. It's just the beach." He laughed at Jessica's look of betrayal. "Hey, she didn't exactly _forbid _me from saying a place. She did, however, forbid me from telling people where specifically she would be. I didn't break her command, and neither did you."

"Thank you!" Alice grabbed her sister's arm and paused at Rosalie's resistance. "Rose?"

"Yeah, can I have a apple banana pudding cup with some oats thrown on top and maybe a meatball marinara sandwich on the side?" She smiled at the two who were staring at her oddly. "Can't blame me, blame the kid."

"And to drink with that, Ma'am?" Micheal chuckled, "Or should I be asking the kid?"

"Some fresh mango strawberry lemonade would be divine!" She giggled, brushing back her blond hair, "Oh God, I'm starving."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

Kicking up her board to slice up the wave, Bella looked over at Leah, who was cutting it up on her own, her black board amazing in contrast with the blue waves. On the beach, Angela was standing around, camera flashing wildly.

"That's the money shot!" Angela squealed, viewing her photos. "I'm gonna get that printed as a vinyl poster to sell to all the prepubescent boys around!"

"Great." Bella snorted, "Nobody would buy it."

"Alice would." Leah offered with a smile, and it turned to a frown at Bella's glare. "What?"

"Are you going to make a crude remark?" Chocolates narrowed.

"No, I was kidding..." Leah felt her heart clench painfully. This is what their friendship had become. Not even a joke could be said without someone getting upset. "I didn't mean anything by it, honestly."

"Alright." Bella dropped her angry expression into one of neutrality, and Angela sighed. "Can I have a hug?"

"Yeah." Leah hesitantly placed her arms around the brunette and squeezed her lightly, "I missed you, Bells."

"I missed you, too." Bella hugged her friend and sighed. "This is horrible."

"I know it."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Is that Bella?" The pixie asked as she pulled her sunglasses off, glaring off into the distance where a slim figure was hugging a taller slim figure.

"Yeah, that's her." Rosalie said as she drank some of her lemonade, binoculars in hand. "That's Leah she's clawing all over."

"Of course she would forgive her." Alice growled, throwing the car in reverse and backing out of the parking lot of the beach access. "Let's see how long it takes her to realize we're in town."

"I think you're freaking out over nothing." Blue eyes softened, "She's the most forgiving person on the planet, Ali. You know that. We couldn't expect her to be mad at Leah forever. Not when they were so close before."

"I could hope, though." The tiny surfer bit her lip as she contemplated storming down that beach and shoving in between the two hugging girls.

"I know the hug didn't mean anything, Ali." Rosalie sighed, "Angela was there, too. Bella wouldn't 'cheat' on you in front of Angela. She knows how that girl all but worships you."

"Yeah." That didn't make her feel any better about the whole thing.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella - Monday<strong>

"Hey, Jess." Bella greeted as she walked into the Deli once again, for lunch. "What's the special today?"

"...know, I mean, it was Alice and Rosalie Cullen! I know the Cullen Five when I see them, and I swear, it was them!" A girl who was standing near the trashcan was squealing, "I wonder if they saw me!"

The brunette snapped her gaze from the girl at the cans to Jessica, who looked close to forking the girls in the stomach.

"Is that true? They're really here?" Bella screamed aloud in joy, "I'm leaving! Might come back later!"

She hopped back into the Ghini and raced down the road toward the old rented Cullen Mansion. She knew the way by heart now.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Did you run into Bella yesterday?" Esme asked as all of her children slumped down into the dining room chairs that surrounded the large, polished wood table.

"Yeah, we certainly did." Alice scowled, "She was all over Leah."

"Ali, she was just hugging the girl, probably forgiving her for hitting her. Can we stop with the dramatics, please? It's getting really old, really fast." Edward sighed, "Let's go and try it again."

"I-" The pixie was about to make a nasty comment about what he'd just said, but the purring of an engine deleted her thoughts, and made new ones come up. "Are you guys expecting anyone?"

"No..." Alice bolted from her seat, as did everyone else, with the exception of Rosalie, who was eating her breakfast and ready to lay a smackdown on anyone who would stop her.

They all ran to the front door, throwing it open and seeing a really nice, sleek black Lamborghini park in right in front of their house.

Jaws dropped all around the same time, and inside the car, Bella could barely contain her laughter.

"ROSE! A LAMBORGINI!" The pregnant blond rushed from her seat and bumped into Alice, nearly sending her face forward on the porch.

"Holy mother of Jesus Christ..." The blond's blue eyes widened, and then narrowed. She was practically fucking it with her eyes.

"What is it exactly?" Edward asked as he lifted Jasper's jaw back up to close his mouth.

"Lamborghini LP570 SuperLeggera." Rosalie whispered as if it were a prayer. "Why don't we have cars like this, Esme?"

"Because you are all reckless drivers as it is. Could you imagine if I was to allow you to buy cars that went over 150? The insurance would skyrocket." She chuckled. "No, you can't have one."

During their little talk, the Lamborghini's driver side door opened, music spilling out into the yard. It was a little loud, but not loud enough to be obnoxious.

'_**So baby don't worry, you are my only, You won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down, **__**You'll be my only, no need to worry, Baby are you down down down down down, Down, Down,  
>Baby are you down down down down down, Down, Down, Even if the sky is falling down...'<strong>_

The music shut off and of course, Isabella Swan stepped out of the vehicle.

"BELLA?" Alice's mouth fell open again, and the brunette couldn't help but laugh and twirl the keys on her pointer finger, walking around it to greet the Cullen Family.

"Hey guys. I came over as soon as I'd heard you were here." She stepped up onto the porch, only to get dragged down again by an excited Rosalie.

"Pop the damn hood! Now!" She was washing her hands together in an odd way, but Bella could only laugh and do as she asked.

"The rest of it is back there." Bella pointed to where a trunk would normally lay, "Have at it." She tossed the pregnant blond the keys and looked back at Alice, who was near tears.

"Can I drive it?" Edward squealed, and Jasper could only shake his head with a small smile on his face. "Pretty please?"

"Can you drive it?" Bella smirked, "If you can figure it out, feel free."

"YES!" Edward hopped into the driver's seat, letting out an even louder girlish squeal, "This is amazing, Bella, where did you get it? Are you into Valet Parking now?"

"For your information, my mother bought it for me...the day after you guys left for Florida." The brunette looked at Esme, who still was jaw-ajar.

"Bella-bear, that is one awesome car." Emmett whimpered, "Can I sit in it?"

"Yeah, you can." She chuckled, "I had it reupholstered recently. Let me know how the leather feels. They had that thinner leather in it for the sake of taking off of the weight, but I don't care much for that."

"Will do." He moved his mass to the passenger door and dropped into it. "What's the rubber pad on top of the roof for?"

"You know what it's for." Chocolate eyes glared into mischievous blue eyes. "Don't speak of it further."

"Fine, fine." He leaned back in the seat and sighed. "This is great. Still has the new car smell and everything."

"Bella, can I talk to you?" The pixie snatched Bella's hand and pulled her into the house up the stairs, into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her and locking it.

"Alice?" The brunette was confused, but quite turned on. "What's the matter?"

"What's going on between you and Leah?" She bit her lip, "I saw you yesterday at the beach with her...and you were...hugging. I mean, it was just yesterday that your mother told me that she'd hit you, and now...? You're friends again?"

"That's all. We're just friends. Nothing more, never." The taller surfer trapped her love against the wall, "Why go for her when I have someone as wonderful, beautiful and sexy as you?"

"Availability?" The tiny Cullen giggled, but pouted. "Are you sure nothing happened?"

"Baby, I'm not a cheater. You know that." She leaned down and captured cherry petal lips in a breathtaking kiss. Their lips moved together, portraying the patience they had, the love, and soon enough, they parted for breath. "Besides, I love you."

"I love you, too. Sorry for ever doubting you." The shorter girl almost purred in contentment. "I adore you."

"Ditto." Noses nuzzled together before a loud string of noises, followed by profanities, came from downstairs. "They're breaking my car!"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Tuesday<strong>

"Are you ready to go?" Bella's head came up as a voice sounded from her bedroom door. It was Alice. "I've got everything packed up for the day."

"Perfect. Let's go." She smiled and took her love's hand, leading her down the stairs again, and out to the Lamborghini. She had yet to ride in it, and Bella was excited about that. "Ready to be blown away?"

"Yeah..." Alice's head snapped to behind the house, where another vehicle was parked with a large black tarp over it. "What's that?"

"Oh, that? Project car. Something to do to pass the time." Chocolate eyes lit up. She had lied smoothly, and was really happy about that. She didn't want to outright tell Alice that it was the Ferrari she was giving to her as a pre-wedding gift. She had it half repainted already, courtesy of Jacob.

"Cool." The tiny girl bit her lip as they climbed into the black car. "I can only imagine how you reacted to your mother buying this for you."

"She's got a way with words, she all but sold the thing to me with her salesperson attitude." Bella couldn't help but laugh at the memory of her mother telling her about the car. "Seatbelt, baby."

"Of course." She giggled and pulled at it, clicking it into place. "So, what else have you been up to that you haven't told us about?"

"Nothing, really." She grinned. LIES!

* * *

><p>"It looks great out here!" Alice looked out onto the ocean with longing in her eyes and turned to look at Bella, who had a heartbroken expression on her face. "Bella?"<p>

"I know you want to be out there...but you aren't allowed to surf until you get the OK from Carlisle tonight. So we have to settle for the sand." She pointed at Alice, "Sand only."

"Fine." She pouted, "Can you at least bury me?"

"Nope. No sand on your back. You're lucky enough that I let you wear a bikini out here. Else I would have had you wearing a wool sweater and jeans." She snorted, "See what kind of odd looks you'd get out here then!"

"Yeah, right! You can wear that. I will always wear my bikinis, baby." She winked and sauntered off onto the powdery sand, plopping herself down unceremoniously. "Are you coming?"

"Soon enough!" The brunette surfer chuckled and ran over to her girlfriend, almost tackling her to the ground, but careful of her mostly healed back.

After a few minutes of struggling and semi-wrestling, the two laid on the ground, Alice piled on Bella like a puppy. "Look at them out there. I'm so jealous." She whimpered, and Bella could only pat her head.

"Don't worry. You'll be out there again soon enough." Chocolate eyes landed on the bombshell, pregnant, blond sister. "Rosie's coming."

Alice turned her head to look over her shoulder, where indeed, her pregnant sister was coming in their direction. "That ice chest looks heavy."

"It's probably only got snack food in it. Emmett wouldn't let her carry it otherwise." Bella sat up on her elbows and grinned when the taller girl reached them. "Hey, there. Got any goodies to share?"

"With you? Of course!" She dropped the ice chest and popped it open, producing a package of chocolate striped cookies. "Share with Ali, she loves these."

"Hey, Bella!" the three girls spun around to see Leah, Seth and Angela heading in their direction. "Hey, Cullens!"

"Hey, Angie!" Bella would have gotten up to greet them properly, but Alice was too comfortable, snuggled atop of her. "I would hug you all, but I'm a little occupied."

"We can see that." Leah grinned, and Alice's head shot up to glare at her. "Whoa, there. Just kidding."

"Nice board, where did you get that?" Rosalie eyed Leah's black board and frowned.

"Actually, Bella bought this for me for-" A set of blue eyes and amber eyes snapped to Bella, who swallowed nervously.

"For being such a great friend! That's why she bought her the board." Angela smiled just as nervously as Bella had. "She's so selfless, that girl!"

"Yeah..." Leah scratched at her scalp awkwardly, "Anyway, I'm hitting the waves now."

She spun around quickly, Seth following her as they all but sprinted to the water and away from the confrontation that was sure to come about.

"Bella, is that what you spent the eight hundred dollars on?" Alice hissed at her girlfriend, who was starting to freak out a little. "You spent that money on _her_?"

"She was very helpful to me at the time, and I noticed that her old board was all but falling apart, Ali. I wanted to do something nice for her, and it has made her performance better, as she'd told me." Chocolate eyes narrowed, "That, and she deserved it."

"What did she do to deserve that?" Rosalie's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Whoa, what's happening here?" Emmett was there suddenly, dripping wet.

"Nothing, Emmy, nothing at all." Alice smiled sweetly, but even Emmett could see Bella was in some deep shit now.

* * *

><p><strong>Wahhh! Bella's definitely in deep shit. Ah, it feels great to be back. <strong>

**Thanks for reading, and an 'I love you' for those of you who always review.**

**Namaste!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Namaste! I do believe that this is the last chapter of the first Arc! It's been a great run with you guys, and to all new readers, welcome, and I am so sorry you showed up at a slow time for us! I'll post again as soon as possible, but please don't get upset if it isn't this week or next week or even within the next three weeks. I'll be working on it, but I have to pace myself. That, and it's a lot of stuff to remember and I've got my new passion, Roller derby, to rape and pillage. **

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Alright. Spill." Golden eyes hardened, "NOW."

"I can't...It's a secret." Bella couldn't help but shudder when Alice glared at her like that. It was like being a mouse in front of a freaking cobra at dinner time. "B-But I will tell you soon enough, okay?"

"You damn well better. If you don't, I will go and force it out of Leah herself." Alice hissed before spinning around and going to her front door, "And if you don't spill soon, I will seriously consider kicking your ass."

SLAM.

"Well, that could have gone better." The brunette thumped her forehead. She hadn't thought that buying Leah a board would be this horrible. Hell, it's Alice. She should have known shit was going to hit the fan the way it did today. You should never expect anything less.

She grumbled and climbed into her car. It was time for some serious downtime and sleep. Plus, she needed to get around to feed Sherlock. Her mother had been all but breastfeeding the damn pup. He was going to think that Renee was his real mommy at some point.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Wednesday<strong>

Bella Swan was faced with a fork in the road. It went three ways, and she wasn't sure which was the road she wanted to take. The first one led her to the beach. The second led to Alice's house. The third, much like the second one, led her to Alice's house, only it had a second turn after Alice's house to the beach.

Decisions, decisions...

The brunette, though she would have loved to go and collect Alice to go surfing at the beach, she figured that Carlisle still wasn't giving her the go-ahead for surfing. Why make her suffer watching her surf when she herself couldn't?

So she decided. She strapped up her surfboards and all but floored it for First Beach, intent on taking advantage of the very early hour and by the time Alice got around to waking up, she could rush home and pretend she never left.

It sounded ridiculous to even Bella, but she was suffering some serious wave withdrawal at this point. She needed it. Craved it like a fat kid craves cake at fat camp.

As Bella was speeding toward the beach, she rolled down the windows, the air whipping her hair wildly, music blaring.

'_**so much cuter with something in your mouth, Crafty little lip tricks, tattoos on her left hip, She's bending as you're spending, there's no end to it, so baby come on! Dressed up like a princess, betting that her skin smells, Better than the scent of every flower in the desert, come on!' **_

As the surfer pulled into the parking area of the beach access, a couple of boys looked up at her in surprise. She smirked and climbed out, shutting the door behind her. She reached her hands up to release the cords that were holding her surfboards to her roof and took her shortboard down. She would use her fish later.

She placed it down against the car gently before tying up her fish again. She looked at the boys, who were gawking, as always, and brushed past them, cradling her shortboard to her side. She looked back only once, and scoffed. They were all checking her out.

'No use asking them to surf with me.' She huffed, walking to the water. Thankfully, she didn't put on a shirt before leaving the house, so now she didn't need to worry about it much. She tied her keys up to her neck chain (courtesy of Angela) and paddled out.

* * *

><p><strong>Jasper<strong>

"Thank God and everything on this side of Creation that Carlisle let Ali surf today." Edward sighed, running hands through his poofy bronze hair. "I don't think I could take another day of her prowling cat pacing. It was literally driving me up the wall."

"Is everyone ready to go?" A blond Kate came into the living room with a huge grin, "We have yet to surf First Beach. I, for one, am excited about it."

"Why?" Jasper looked at Edward, who looked just as confused as he did.

"I've heard really good things about it from Rosalie and Emmett." She turned when she heard someone coming from outside. It was Alice, who was currently wearing the biggest fucking grin she'd ever had in her life. "Alice?"

"I went to get my board from the van. It was stashed away on the highest shelf. Wonder who did that." She glared at Emmett, who had chosen that moment to walk into the living room with Rosalie. He flinched when she glared at him, and his blond wife only patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Give him a break, Ali. I told him to put it up where you couldn't reach." Rosalie turned her blue eyes to her sister, who pouted. "Are you ready to go? This is going to really suck."

"Why?" Irina shoved past Kate and had her board in her hands. "I heard the surf was amazing here."

"It is. For those who can surf." She crossed her arms like a child having a tantrum, "I want to surf with you guys."

"You are carrying a baby, silly. You can't surf until after the baby is born." Emmett hugged his still pouting wife, "Or, you can surf and maybe accidentally hurt the baby."

"No way!" She stomped her foot, "I'd rather die."

"Then, sandy beach for you." He kissed her cheek softly. "You know, you're cute when you pout and whine like that."

"You, too." She grumbled and stormed over to the front door, flinging it open. "Let's get out of here! TANYA!"

"WHAT?" The strawberry blond came rushing out with only half of her bathing suit on, "I was changing!"

"You are definitely my cousin." Rosalie guffawed, pointing at Tanya's exposed breasts. "Cover those sisters up!"

"What if I don't want to? I love monokinis." She swerved her torso, making her breasts bounce. "My hair is long enough to cover them."

"I don't know if the population can handle exposure, Tanya." Alice blushed, "Cover up, already."

"Why, Ali!" Blue eyes widened, "Have you not seen a woman's breasts before?"

"Of course I have! Shut up!" The pixie rushed over to Rosalie, burying her face in her sister's shoulder, "Tell her to stop!"

"You heard Surfer-Ali! Stop it, you fiend!" The blond chuckled as she dragged her husband and sister out of the house and toward the huge Jeep. "Load it up, Em."

"You got it." The bear smirked as he threw everyone's surfboards into the very back of his huge Jeep. "Climb in while I get this stuff in. Are we making a pit stop for Bella?"

"She's not even awake right now." Alice giggled, "She'll probably sleep in until noon!"

"What about yesterday? She was awake before we were." Rosalie's eyes flickered over to Emmett, who flinched.

"That was a fluke. She probably hadn't slept at all the night before." She shrugged, "Anyway, we can go see her at noon for lunch or something. She probably will hang out with Angela, since she knows I'm still mad at her."

"Don't be too mad at her." Jasper frowned at his baby sister. "There are just some things she can't share yet. Don't kill her for having her own secrets."

"Right." Edward stole a glance at Emmett, who tried to fight a grin.

"Well, I'm done. Let's go." Emmett hopped in after helping Alice into the back seat and Rosalie into her passenger seat. Edward and Jasper were driving the Volvo, and the Denali sisters were going with them.

* * *

><p><strong>Angela's P.O.V.<strong>

Bella looked amazing, as always, out on the waves. She'd gotten really good in the past month and a half that she'd been surfing, and I was excited about her possibly becoming a professional surfer with The Cullen Five. She would be an amazing addition to their group, what with her sense of style and her romance with Alice.

Normally, I wouldn't take to taking so many pictures of a single subject, I was a sort of scatterbrained photographer. I could take a picture of a butterfly, and then want to take a picture of a tree upside down...and that would morph into the street and then a cloud...but with Bella and the other surfers, I couldn't get enough of it. They were just so amazing out there.

The light, when reflected off the water, looked like shimmering colors on the surfer's skin and surfboard. When they would cut into the wave with a back movement, splashes of water would reflect more light and that was just beautiful. I loved taking pictures of surfers, and since Bella was a good friend, she never said anything negative about me taking photos.

Of all the pictures I had, I already chose which ones I wanted to submit for possible vinyl printing. I made Alice a thick photo book of Bella learning how to surf. Since the first day, I'd been taking secret shots, when she thought I wasn't around, and boy, were they spectacular.

I even got one of Bella just a split second before she hit the water, a look of horror rushing across her face. It was hilarious when she broke the surface.

I was mid shot when a pair of cars pulled up behind me in the parking lot. I took my shot and turned, looking right into the eyes of one Alice Cullen.

Oh shit.

"A-Alice? You're here?" I fiddled with my camera and then my braids, nervous as hell. If I remember correctly, Bella didn't want Alice to know she learned how to surf. Why, I had no freaking clue, but that was what she'd wanted. "What brings you to the beach this early?"

"Angela...are you feeling okay?" Her caramel eyes swirled with concern, "Why are you fidgeting? It's just me, Alice."

"I-I know." I bit my lip and fiddled more with my camera, probably looking really guilty of something. "I just...you surprised me."

"I'm sorry." She smiled at me, and I had to bite my tongue to tell her that Bella was surfing and that she was amazing looking. "Well, you're out here a little early."

"Photography never sleeps, ya know." I winked at her and lifted my camera, snapping a shot over her shoulder, but still getting half of her face. Over her shoulder, Emmett and Rosalie were sharing a tiny kiss, hands clasped between them in an adorable way. That was a money shot right there. "Point made."

"Yeah..." Alice didn't seem sure of what to make of me, and for that I was glad. "Anyway, we are surfing today, as you can see."

She motioned to the boards they had stacked up in the back seat of the massive Jeep, and I felt like I'd swallowed my tongue. Should I tell her something? Lie to her? Sharks in the water, what?

"Here, Ali." Jasper handed the pixie her bright baby blue surf board, the bracelet on her wrist sparkling brightly in the light. I couldn't resist, and snapped a photo of her. She had a smile on her face, and I knew Bella would do back-flips for this picture. "Let's hit it."

"W-Wait!" I let my camera hang around my neck by it's strap and held my hands up in a halt motion. They paused, looking at me as if confused.

"Angela?" Rosalie's blue eyes narrowed. "What is the holdup?"

"T-There was a notice on the news earlier today...really rough riptides and such...poisonous marine life..." I bit tongue slightly, afraid to make myself bleed. "Do you think it's a good idea to go out there?"

"Even more a reason to go." Edward scratched his scalp, "Riptides make for great waves."

"What about the marine life?" I looked at Emmett, who was grinning. He nudged Edward, whose eyes lit up. Shit.

"I'm sure it's not the marine life we have to look out for." Emmett's grin stretched, "Don't worry, Angie. If we run into a _mermaid_, we'll let her know you're on her side."

"Mermaid?" Alice looked at Rosalie, and then to..._Kate Denali!_

"I don't know, but I really couldn't care about mermaids." Kate looked down at her fingernails, "I'd really like to get surfing."

"Y-You're Kate Denali, aren't you?" I cursed inwardly when my voice shook. The blond tilted her head and smiled. "You and your sisters form 'The Power of Three'!"

"Yes, we do." Irina piped up from behind Kate, who glanced over her shoulder at her sisters, who were now ready to hit the waves. "Are you a fan?"

"O-Of course!" I fingered the side of my camera shyly, "Do you mind?"

"Depends on what the photos are for." Tanya stood protectively in front of her sisters, who made gagging noises behind her.

"I-I order special vinyl posters of my best shots and sell them in my surf shop. With the money I collect, I am able to hire people to teach the local kids to surf. The boss is practically related and lets me do whatever I want..." I blushed and looked over at Alice, who smiled at me.

"Then, we would be honored for you to take our pictures." Tanya smiled graciously, and my heart fluttered in my chest. Holy shit, these girls were amazing.

"G-Great." I stuttered slightly, "I like taking pictures of people out on the water, if that's cool."

"Perfect." Kate slung an arm around my shoulders and I squealed internally as we walked toward the beach. When we reached the water, I forgot about my main mission.

Don't let Alice see Bella out on the waves.

_Shit fuck!_

"Is that Bella?" Alice's butterscotch eyes were wide in wonder and awe. "She's so beautiful! And she's _surfing!_"

"Well, Ali? What are you waiting for?" Rosalie shoved her forward a little, "Go get your girl. I think this was what she was hiding."

"You figure?" The tiniest Cullen squealed and ran into the water, bright surfboard over her head as she ran. Poor Bella didn't even see her coming.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

As the brunette surfer was getting ready to come down onto a rather tall wave, her peripheral vision was filled with a baby blue surfboard and a tiny person standing on their board, ready to take the wave on at her side. Her head snapped in that direction, and she was met with the bright golden eyes of her beautiful pixie-like lover, Alice Cullen.

"A-Ali?" Unfortunately for her, she couldn't afford to lose concentration at the top of a ten foot wave. Her head snapped back forward as she smoothly fell off the lip of the wave, her legs straining as she attempted to ride up the wave's wall. She grit her teeth when her knees started tingling. That wasn't good.

"Bella, when were you going to tell me about this?" Alice laughed as she zoomed right by the slightly incapacitated brunette. The girl huffed before zooming after her, right on her tail. They chased each other around until the wave died down and they ended up on the beach, everyone grinning.

"So, can we talk about you becoming the Sixth Cullen now? Or do we still have to wait?" Emmett crossed his arms over his massive chest, "Because I gotta say, it's getting harder and harder to keep from talking about it."

"Hey, Bells!" Everyone's heads snapped to the side to see Jacob drive up onto the beach in his truck. When he saw the Cullens, he slammed on his brakes and was tempted to throw it into reverse and high tail it out of there.

"Hey, Jake." Bella waved, and Alice looked at her as if she was crazy. "What?"

"Bella, what the hell?" The short hairs atop of the pixie's head were sticking up and her face pinked in anger. "You're buddy buddy with him again?"

"Not really." She shrugged, "We adopted a thing out here. I like surfing, he likes surfing and Leah likes surfing...we decided early on that since we all can agree that we like surfing, we would leave the grudges and hate and anger in the parking lot. It doesn't come out here on the waves, and it isn't allowed on the sand, either. Out here, we're all brothers and sisters. We can get along for as long as the waves are slapping the beach."

"Wise words, Bella-bear." Emmett nodded in agreement. "Of course, as soon as we are in the parking lot?"

"He doesn't try to talk to me at all. He knows I'd probably kick his ass." She looked at Jacob who chuckled, "Did you bring your new mix?"

"Yeah, I definitely did." He spun a disc on his finger, "Are you ready for it?"

"Pump it out. I want my ears to bleed." The brunette turned to her still fuming lover, "Hey, let's get back out there. Emmett, you coming along?"

"Hells yeah! Just give me a chance to get Rose situated." He turned his sapphire eyes to his wife, who was already snuggling into a beach chair, blanket around her and a juice box in hand. She lifted her shades a little to look at her husband and winked. "Never mind. She's got it."

"Of course I do. I'm not a baby." She smiled and drank from her juice.

"Just carrying one." Bella saluted her before dragging Alice off to the water again as a song came on over the speakers.

**'**_**When I look into your eyes it's over, You got me hooked with your love controller, I'm tripping and I could not get over, I'm feeling lucky like a four leaf clover, Cos i'm into you...'**_

Alice squealed at the song and before they even got to the wave, stood up on her board and began to dance to it, throwing her arms around in a rather sexy way (in Bella's opinion.). 

"Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, yeah!" Alice was seriously moving it on that board. Bella could only sit on her board and watch, jaw dropped.

"Oh God."

"BELLA! CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, YOU MIGHT CATCH A FISH IN THERE!" Rosalie shouted from the beach, Irina laughing at her side.

"She is rather gorgeous, isn't she?" Tanya asked as she paddled up beside Bella on her bright orange board. "She couldn't stop talking about you back in Florida. She's totally love struck."

"I'm glad...in a way." Chocolate eyes glazed over Alice's thin form, "I'm totally love struck, too."

"Yeah, you should have seen the way she freaked when that redhead came up to her at the competition! She acted as if the girl had burned her or something!" Kate cackled, "I'm just happy she didn't decide to follow us here. I don't think I could stand another day of ignoring someone I wanted to physically hurt."

"Tell me more about this girl." Bella turned her eyes to the Denali sisters.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"B-Bella!" Alice whimpered, biting her lip to keep from screaming, "Oh...baby...oh God, oh God...oh God...!"

"Shhh..." Bella whispered, nibbling on the pixie's earlobe as she continued to stroke her heated flesh, "You don't want to wake anyone up, baby..."

"I'm going to fall apart if you don't stop, Bella..." She moaned, "Oh God..."

Her pale neck stretched and the brunette couldn't help but lay closed mouthed kisses along the column before biting down on her pulse point, making her buck her hips, her soft lips parting in a breathy gasp.

"Will you let me stay the night?" Bella muttered against her skin, smiling at the shuddering and goosebumps that rose up on the other girl's skin.

"I wouldn't let you leave now." Alice bit her lip and choked on a moan, "Fuck.."

"Such foul language you have, my love." The brunette nudged a finger into her love's heated core, "So tight..."

"Before...I forget..." Alice's hand blindly fluttered to the bedside table drawer, "Your birthday gift is in there. Shit..."

"You bought something for me?" Bella's lips moved from her ear to her collarbone, her tongue swirling around lazily. "Is it something I get to share with you?"

"M-M-M..." Alice's back arched when the brunette suddenly pushed two more fingers into her, playing her like a fine tuned instrument. "Oh, oh..! Oh shit! Fuck! Fuck! Bella!"

"Can I share it?" Bella grinned before dropping from her spot hovering above her love and moving downward, her tongue flicking out to tease the bud that sat over her opening.

"If you want!" Caramel eyes were blazing at this point, and molten chocolates refused to leave the lock. "Fuck..."

"I love you." The taller surfer whispered before biting down rather hard on the bud, causing all sorts of things to happen at once.

"BELLA!" Alice's hands gripped at her hair harshly, yanking slightly. It didn't hurt the brunette at all, though. If anything, it spurred her on. It would definitely be a night of making up for the almost two months separation.

* * *

><p><strong>Hokay...maybe it isn't the last one. I am lost now. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. I know the whole 'OMG Bella can surf!' thing wasn't all that..spectacular, but in actuality, it wasn't supposed to be. It's more like an 'oooh. Bella can surf. cool.' haha I'm sorry if it didn't live up to your guys' imaginings. If you want, you can write how you envisioned it and share it with me. (and the world. Just post it up on FF and say it's your rendition of 'Bella is surfing!' <strong>

**Thanks for reading, and I'll post up fairly soon. **

**Namaste!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello all! An update just for you! I've been busy with Roller Derby lately and school, so it's like...whatev. Anyway, I haven't been able to come up with a cool roller derby name, so if any of you have a good idea for one, let me know in a review if you're a frequent reviewer. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Renee – Thursday<strong>

When the mother of one woke up on Thursday morning, she couldn't really remember what had happened the day before. Not that it was uncommon of her. She usually couldn't even remember what she'd eaten for lunch that same day, but whatever.

She rolled over on Bella's bed and heard a whimper. She jumped slightly and picked up the now quite large pup.

"You aren't that handsome." She chuckled, "Holmes was much smaller than you. You are a monster mammoth!"

A yowl from the window alerted Renee to Watson, her cat.

"Hey, there. Haven't seen you since we got here. Where have you been, you old, dirty tom cat?" She patted the bed and sighed when the cat refused to come to her. He always refused to come to her, she practically had to chase him around for any kind of affection. He used to be so loving as a kitten... "Fine then, sourpuss. See how you'll feed yourself, since I won't!"

"Mom! Are you here?" That was Bella.

"Bella? What are you doing here? Where is Alice?" The mother sighed and threw her legs out from under the blanket, carrying the very large puppy in her arms. He was getting quite heavy...

"She's at her house still asleep." The girl looked at her from the sofa, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh yeah? It must be important, then." She waggled her eyebrows at her daughter, "Unless its got something to do with your hot escapades in the bedroom?"

"Oh no. You can live life without knowing." The younger woman laughed gently at her mother's down expression, "You aren't getting any of it out of me. If anything, you'll need to get Alice to say something. I can share a boy story with you, but no girls."

"Fine, fine." She huffed and flopped down onto the sofa next to her baby, plopping the oversized pup onto her lap. "He keeps eating. Its like he doesn't have a stop button or a fill line."

"He probably doesn't." tweaking his ears, Bella looked at her mother seriously. "How do you seriously feel about me marrying Alice?"

"I'm excited about it." She smiled, nodding enthusiastically. "But I want to know what your plan is."

"That's just it." She bit her lip, "I don't have a plan. I don't know if she's got a plan, but I certainly don't have one. I mean, she wants to keep traveling the world, surfing the waves and all that...hell, I think I'd enjoy that too, but what about our life apart from surfing? Should we get a house? Put down roots somewhere?"

"That sounds like a conversation you should be having with her as soon as you've sealed the deal, babe." Renee threw her arm over her daughter's shoulder. When she said nothing for a few seconds, Renee did the first thing that came to mind. _"__This time I wonder what it feels like, To find the one in this life, the one we all dream of, But dreams just aren't enough...'_

Bella turned to look at her mother as she sang the song that had become something of their theme song when they were back in Phoenix._  
>"So I'll be waiting for the real thing, I'll know it by the feeling, The moment when we're meeting will play out like a scene, Straight off the silver screen, So I'll be holding my own breath right up 'til the end, Until that moment when I find the one that I'll spend forever with..." <em>The brunette laid her head on her mother's shoulder and sighed.

"I love you, mom." Renee chuckled and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Of course you love me! I was your first love, lets not forget." Charlie shuffled down the stairs at that moment, alone. "Where is your bonnie lass?"

"She had to go to the clinic early. Surgery on an injured pet rabbit or something like that." He rubbed his 'stache and frowned. "Bells, you mind making something to eat? I can barely open my eyes."

"Yeah, no problem." The girl made to get up and her mother followed.

"I'll help you, sweetheart." Bella turned to her mother and smiled, "What?"

"I want you to sing that song at my wedding. Will you?" Renee was speechless. Of course, she would do anything her baby girl wanted her to do, but she'd never been asked to sing a song at a wedding! Goodness, she wasn't sure if she was confident enough to be able to carry a nice tune...

"What if I sound like a croaking frog?" Chocolate eyes lit up and her lips pulled back further. "Then everyone will just laugh."

"They'd never laugh at you at my wedding. I'd have them forced to lick frogs before then. It would mean more coming from my mother to sing our song, than for a paid person to sing it to clients." She hugged her mother. "It would mean a lot to me. To us. Hell, to all three of us."

"I know it." She whispered, pecking her daughter's forehead gently. "You know I'd bend over backwards for you, baby."

"I know it."

* * *

><p>"What exactly are you doing?" Bella asked as she walked into SandShack Deli, watching as The Cullen Five and The Power of Three hustled around with trays in hand. "And why wasn't I told?"<p>

"We wanted to know what it was like to have real jobs." Edward wrinkled his nose, "It's horrible. How did you do this before?"

"Well, for starters, I had a reason to do it. Second, you're wearing your apron backwards." She untied it for him and flipped it around to face the right way. "The way your holding the tray is wrong. How are you supposed to rush around when you're having to constantly worry that the tray will tip over and everything will spill?"

"Then, show us how its done." Edward pulled the apron off and threw it to the ground in a slight hissy fit. "Because I hate it. We will surf until we die."

"I don't doubt that, but I doubt you'd be getting paid for it." Bella chuckled, ignoring the apron and taking the tray from the counter, where Jessica was beaming at her.

"Are you coming back to work with us?" The blond squealed, and Bella shook her head, apologetic expression. "Oh, well...it was worth a try."

"Very worth a try." The brunette nodded, "Why are they doing this?"

"I don't know, they just all rushed in and demanded single-day jobs. Emmett and Rosalie are busing tables, Alice and Jasper are making food and Edward and the Denali are wait staff." She sniffled, "They're all horrible!"

"They've never had real jobs before, you shouldn't have gotten your hopes up so high." the surfer laughed, "They may be talented on the waves, and possibly the concrete, but I doubt they'd do great in a restaurant. Working in it, at least."

"Thanks for the warning." Micheal came out of the back room with Alice, who was blushing darkly. "Hey, Bella."

"Bella!" Alice squeaked and blushed darker, her caramel eyes shy.

'What the hell?' Bella pursed her lips and looked at Micheal, who was in one of those weird eye-locks, complete with lovey atmosphere and piano music, with Jessica. "Ali?"

"Yeah?" She had flour on her cheeks, and she looked absolutely adorable in the working uniform...

"What were you doing?" The brunette crossed her arms over her chest and grinned.

"I was making bread." She sighed, "It didn't come out the way I wanted it to."

"Ah, alright." Bella turned to look at the rest of the Cullens and Denali, who were busy at 'work'. Whatever they thought that meant. "Well, I gotta see someone about something. Have a good day of work, guys."

"Bye, Bella!" Jessica waved, and Alice frowned, eyes following her love as she left the Deli without looking back again. When she was gone, Jessica turned to Alice, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it."

"She was just...in and out in less than five minutes." The pixie's eyes tingled. "She didn't even really care why we were here..."

"Maybe she just figured you guys were being silly?" The blond sighed, bringing Alice into a hug, "That cake you're baking her is going to knock her socks off, I promise you."

"I hope so." The tiny Cullen sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella's POV<strong>

God, it was a gift that Alice and her siblings decided to 'work' today. I needed to find a way to keep Alice in the dark about her car. It was getting harder and harder to do things with her right next to me. Couldn't exactly drive the Ferrari to Jacob's with her in the passenger's seat, now could I?

"Hey, Bella!" Leah came out of Jacob's garage randomly, and I had to wonder if something was going on between the two of them... "Go ahead and bring it in through here."

"Alright." I drove in slowly and parked it when she put her hands up in a stopping motion. "It's already half way done, it just needs to back end."

"We can do that in a few hours. We just need to tape up everything to make sure we don't get paint where we don't want it." She looked over her shoulder when Jacob came into the garage. "Do you need a lift back to your house?"

"Yeah, a lift would be nice." I looked over at Jacob before grinning, "Take care of my baby, Jake. This is your way of making it up to us, now."

"Yeah, I figured. That, and I would never purposely fuck up a Ferrari. I can imagine the kind of business I'd get if I did this one as professionally as I can." He pumped his arms, "I will be rollin'."

"That's right. Don't mess her up!" I shouted over my shoulder before tossing him the keys, "Not a scratch, Black!"

"RIGHT!"

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Now, I have to warn you, Ali...he's a thunderstorm, he may just blow you away." Bella laughed as she put an arm around her girlfriend's slim shoulders, "So beware."

"Well, if you put it that way, then I'm terrified." Golden eyes sparkled in mirth, "Do you think he'll like me? What if he doesn't because I smell like Violet?"

"He'd have two reasons to love you, then." They shared a slight eskimo kiss before entering Bella's house through the front door. When they approached the living room, Bella called to her mother, who had been hiding in the kitchen, "Okay, Mom! Let him loose!"

A howling could be heard, and Alice jumped slightly.

"Don't worry, he's just excited." The brunette massaged her love's shoulder gently, "Come here, Sherlock!"

Scratching of claws on the hardwood reached their ears, and before they realized it, Sherlock had all but tackled Alice, sniffing all around and licking her face mercilessly.

"W-wow!" The tiny surfer gasped, hands trying to calm the puppy down before he bit her ears off or something, "Bella, help, please!"

"Sherlock, down!" The pup whimpered and calmed down significantly. It was enough for Alice to sit up and rub his fur. She cooed at him and wrinkled her nose.

"I don't know what it is with animals and my face." She gagged, "At least he smells like puppy breath and milk instead of trash and dog food."

She felt something crinkle against her hands and his collar and tilted her head. She searched for it and pulled whatever it was off of his collar, opening it. When she pulled it open, a ring fell out of the folded paper and she picked it up in confusion. She glanced once at Bella, who motioned at the paper in her hands.

There, in pink marker, was a huge heart and the words, 'Alice, will you marry me?'

"Are you serious?" Butterscotch eyes lifted up to meet coffee colored ones. "Because I wouldn't survive if this was a joke."

"It's not. That ring there," She pointed at it, and then took it away from the girl's fingers, "Is one of two pieces. The second one you can have after you give me your answer." Bella knelt in front of the pixie and took a deep breath, "So, will you marry me?"

Alice didn't have the will to dignify it with a word answer. She just squealed and screamed bloody, skinning murder and jumped into the other girl's arms, sobbing the whole time. Bella's heart pounded in her chest as the situation finally hit her.

Alice wanted to marry her. She wanted to be with her forever!

"Oh, God!" Bella pushed her down onto the floor and pinned her down with her body, pressing her weight down on the smaller girl. "I could take you right here and now!"

"Then do it!" The pixie whimpered and thrust up on her. "Please..."

"Mother, make yourself disappear!" Bella shouted into the kitchen, "And take the dog with you!"

A small yelp and the opening and closing of the back door was enough for them to know that the mother and dog were gone.

* * *

><p><strong> Alice<strong>

"Fuck, Ali..." The brunette underneath the pixie shuddered, "That feels so good..." When she nibbled on her bud, the girl seized up and relaxed when she would pause.

"I love you." Alice stopped what she was doing and moved to hover above her lover. "I'm really excited about marrying you, Bella."

"I can tell." She chuckled, panting, "Come here."

The little Cullen did as she was asked and nuzzled into her, sighing in contentment. The taller girl lifted Alice's still ringless hand. She picked up her left hand and reached over her head for the paper, where the ring was lying. She slid the ring on her left ring finger and kissed the heavily embellished ring.

"Is that the same paper you'd written on when we first Skyped?" The pixie breathed into her ear. Bella nodded and smiled widely.

"This ring you're only allowed to wear when you aren't surfing." Alice tilted her head in confusion before her lover chuckled, "If you wear this when surfing, you'll probably end up scratching yourself or hurting your finger. I'll give you your surfing ring later. I think we should go tell your family the good news now."

"I think so, too." She sighed again, "I'm so in love with you."

"I love you, too, baby." She kissed her sweetly, "Let's get dressed before my dad comes home and sees things he wasn't supposed to."

"Alright."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

_'Where is Jacob?' _Bella bit her lip as they pulled up to the front yard of the Cullen's rented home. Bella hoped that Jacob knew where this house was, if not the effect would be killed off. She drew the guy a map and everything!

"Bella?" Alice turned to look at her love, who was biting her lip worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is perfect, love, I promise." She smiled and unbuckled her seat belt, "Let's head in. I'm sure your sister is bouncing on her toes at this point."

"She knew?" Golden eyes widened in surprise. "She's horrible at keeping secrets!"

"She knew. I asked her what your ring size was, since I didn't know." The taller girl led her lover to the front door, "Come on."

When they stepped through the door, Rosalie descended, squealing and screaming much like Alice had before. Kate, Tanya and Irina joined in on the screaming and hugging, and Bella just walked over to the boys, who patted her on the back and congratulated her.

"You're making an honest woman of our little Ali." Emmett grinned, "Though, I think you'd been doing that since _before _you asked her to marry you."

"This is great news." Jasper smiled happily, "I'm so excited for the wedding! Do you think I'll be able to have a hand in the planning?"

"Of course!" Bella scoffed, "How else would anything get done with all the squealing happening over there?" She pointed at the ball of excited energy on the other side of the room.

"True." Edward slung an arm over Bella's shoulders, "God, it's going to be so great to have another person in our group! Finally!"

"And then there were six." Jasper spoke sagely as Carlisle came down the stairs to see all the squealing and looked at the boys for some type of explanation.

"Bella here," Emmett nudged her, "Proposed to Ali this morning."

The patriarch's blue eyes lit up, and he ran back up the stairs, coming back with an irritated looking Esme. "Say it again."

"Uh..." Bella almost flinched when blue and green eyes looked directly at her. "I asked Alice to marry me this morning."

She was barely able to take a breath before Esme and Carlisle practically tackled her to the ground with their hugs and kisses.

"Finally my baby can be happy!" Esme squealed and ran over to Alice, nearly shoving the other girls, with the exception of Rosalie, and hugged her baby girl tightly, "You're getting married, baby!"

"I know!" The all squealed louder, and Bella huffed.

"Can't imagine how they'd react when the baby is born." Emmett guffawed, making everyone stop their squeal-fest and look at him in curiosity. "What happened?"

A roar of an engine outside of the house called everyone's attention, and Bella felt a huge bubbling sensation on her chest. She prayed that Alice liked the color, she had a hard time differentiating between three or four shades of bright yellow.

Before she knew it, everyone was outside, getting ready to greet whoever it was that had driven up to the house. Nobody said a word, until Rosalie screamed again.

"A FREAKING _FERRARI?_" Bella chuckled before walking out with everyone else, walking down the stairs. When she was standing in front of it, she touched it and nodded to herself. It was a gorgeous shade of yellow, and the paint was laid on it perfectly. Not a spot was out of place, and it looked freshly waxed. Excellent.

When Jacob opened the door, Rosalie growled.

"Seriously, where the hell are these cars coming from, and why don't we have any?" She spun around to look at Carlisle, who chuckled, patting the top of her head.

"You can't have one because you're about to become a mother, dear. There is no rear seat for a baby carrier." He sighed, "But if you're good and don't get any more speeding tickets, I will look into getting you something newer than the car you have now."

"Awesome." She looked back at the car, fawning over it again.

Jacob smirked, throwing the keys at Bella, who caught them effortlessly.

"You did good, Jake. Can't even tell what color it was originally." She saluted him, and then looked at Alice, who was still staring at the car, quite smitten with it. "Alice?"

She looked up at Bella, eyes glazed over.

"Catch." She tossed her the keys, and when they hit her chest, Alice's hands came up to catch them before they could fall to the floor, "Take care of her, Ali. Took Jake here hours to paint it this color."

"Wha?" She only looked at the keys and then the car, and back to Bella, then the keys.

"I'm giving this to you as a...pre-wedding gift." She chuckled at her love's dumbfound expression. "Baby, this car is yours."

The boys all looked at each other and grinned at once.

_"My life be like...oooh, ahhh, oooh, ahhh, oooh..." _They were such goofballs.

"Shit, are you serious?" Rosalie glared at Emmett, "Why didn't you give me a car like this when we got married?"

"Because when we got married, I couldn't exactly afford this." He motioned to the car, "I was lucky enough to be able to get you the Mercedes!"

"You're lucky I love you and you're handsome." She huffed, her hands moving down to her belly. "Let's go for a ride, Ali."

"Okay." The pixie blinked a few times before practically throwing Bella down on the hood of the car, kissing her roughly.

"HOT!" Emmett howled, and Rosalie didn't bother hitting him. She thought it was just as hot as he did, if not more.

"Let's ride." Bella grinned when Alice climbed off of her, inspecting the car for any kind of damage she may have done. When she was satisfied, she looked at Rosalie and motioned for her to get in. "Can I have some stats?"

"Hell yes. This is the Ferrari 458 Italia. Max speed of around 205 mph. It's Dual-clutch and seven speed, and it gets to 100 km/h in 3.5-3.6 seconds." Rosalie fired off stats as quickly as she could breathe, and Bella felt her head swarm...maybe a car like this wasn't such a good idea...

"I'll follow in my Lamborghini." The brunette swayed slightly as she made her way to her own car, worried. She looked at Emmett, who was looking longingly at the Ferrari. "Come with me, Emmett. You'll have to try to keep me calm."

"Oh? Any specific reason why?" He raised a brow.

"My baby is sitting in a death trap that I let her have...I'm going to need some serious convincing to let her keep it." The female surfer, once seated in her car, thumped her head against the steering wheel. "Jesus..."

"Don't worry. Rose is with her, and she's the car professional out of all of us. She can take that thing apart and put it back together in a day." He chuckled at Bella's behavior. "Our girls will be just fine."

* * *

><p><strong>Carlisle - Saturday<strong>

"Hello?" The blond patriarch had been sitting at the dining room table with his wife, doing a tiger puzzle, when his cell phone rang.

_"Hello? My dear old friend, Carlisle!" _The blond man stiffened. What the hell did this old dingbat want? _"I hope I am not disturbing you, friend! I had hoped to talk to you about something my children have been pestering me about since the end of the Florida competition."_

"Oh? And what could that possibly be, Aro?" He ran a hand through his perfectly kept hair. His wife's green eyes shifted from their puzzle to her husband's face.

_"My darlings would like...what did they say? A rematch? For the Florida competition. They said they felt like they hadn't won it, so much as it was given to them. I was wondering if your children would be interested in such a rematch." _Carlisle could practically hear Aro's grin.

"I'm sure they would be thrilled, Aro. What with their new member and all..." When a gasp was heard on the other end, he knew he had him. "When would you want to have it?"

_"As soon as possible, friend! My children will be so excited! Where are you currently?" _Esme's eyes narrowed. She didn't want to have to deal with Aro's wife more than necessary.

"We are in the Olympic area once again. My youngest daughter has found love here, so we just had to come back." Blue and green eyes met. "Would you want to have it here?"

_"I would hate to uproot your family for a simple competition. We will be there by Monday and begin the competition on Friday. Does that sound agreeable?" _Of course it sounded agreeable. The sooner it happened, the sooner it would end.

"That sounds perfect. See you then, Aro." Carlisle sighed and hung up, glancing down at their puzzle. He picked up a piece and put it where it went, completing the tiger's leg. "I have to talk to the kids now."

"That, you do." Esme smiled and leaned over the table to kiss his lips. "Good luck."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Okay, so what you're saying is...the Volturi are on their way here?" Alice's hands gripped her pant legs tightly. Her brunette fiancee reached over and smoothed her hands out, lacing their fingers together. "For a made up competition?"

"It's for the sake of the Florida Keys trophy." Esme sighed, "Jane said she wanted a rematch because she felt like she didn't actually win it."

"Because she didn't." Emmett laughed aloud, "We all forfeited after Alice took her spill."

"Well, it's too late to say no, now." Bella snickered, "They're already on their way here, so you guys may as well do it."

"You're in it, too, Bella." Carlisle's blue eyes shifted to the brunette, and she gasped.

"WHAT?" she stood up suddenly, scaring everyone. "I can't!"

"Why can't you? Everyone has told me of your skills. Why can't you?" the father of five frowned at the newest addition to his family. "You're a part of this, too. We need to level out the playing field since Rosalie can't surf."

"But that's no reason to put me out there without checking to see if I was up for it!" She shivered, "What if something goes wrong?"

"Everything will be fine." Alice gripped her fiancee's hand, "You'll see. I think you're a perfect match up for Chelsea."

"I agree." Kate grinned, "She's a sneaky bitch, but she's great at what she does. Just like you."

"Thanks for your votes of confidence, but seriously, I have been surfing for less than three months, and you want me to surf with you guys? There are some serious holes in your plan." Chocolate eyes narrowed, "However..."

Alice sighed, leaning into her love's side.

"I'm going to need to start training as soon as possible. I don't want to go out there and risk something happening. To anyone." The brunette stood up and pulled Alice with her. "Lets hit the beach, babe."

"Bella, it's almost midnight, do you think you should go out this late?" Esme frowned, worry etched onto her features.

"I love midnight surfing." She chuckled at Alice's expression. "What?"

"You surf in the middle of the night? What if something happens to you and nobody is around to help you?" The pixie's face pinked, and her cheeks puffed out.

"Yeah, well, you surf with gigantic fish and other horrible things. I'm tame compared to you guys." She chuckled, "Who wants to hit up the beach? The moon is full tonight."

"Hell, if I get to surf against my new little sister, I'm in!" Emmett guffawed, throwing his arms around his wife, who was grinning like a fool. "Rosie can cheer us on."

"I'm excited for the competition already." Tanya squealed, "Oh, imagine the attention the Cullen and Denali family will have when we introduce Bella to the crowds! Joy!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! That's over with. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it...and give me a week to get the others going. Ciao, and review if you still adore me!<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

**Err...Hi again. Glad you've all lasted this long! :) Anywho, here's another update. Enjoy it. **

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Sunday<strong>

"Well, look what the sky spat up." Rosalie sneered as she and her siblings stood off to the side at the Sea-Tac airport. "Have a hard time up there out of your comfort zone, Janie?"

"Shut it, Cullen!" The blond midget snarled, snatching her bag off the conveyer and rushing toward where her father was standing, shooting off orders to their hired personnel. "Daddy!"

"What is it, little one?" Aro, being an older man and father, was always soft spoken and generally sweet. How he managed to produce two demons instead of children, the world would never know. It might have something to do with his wild-child wife and tendencies...

"I see the Cullens." She turned around and pointed as a five year old would, "There, right over there!"

"Ah! Carlisle! My old friend!" He clapped his hands together and everyone ceased movement to stare at the excited old man. "This _is _the right place! I had assumed that there would be no way you'd end up in such a small town! Isn't it a little too cold for surfing in this area?"

"The children assure me that the water is still warm." The blond man chuckled, his blue eyes cautious. He was friends with the father, but his children just scared him. "Have you already got your accommodations set up?"

"Yes, of course!" He reached into his Italian leather satchel and pulled out a stack of papers and leafed through them. "It's an older styled home that suits my tastes, as I've been assured. It's a little ways away from yours, I think..."

"We would be honored to escort you there." The doctor glanced at his wife, who smiled, but his children all blanched and began to pout. "Come on, now. Everyone help."

"Yes, sir." The five of them drawled, grudgingly grabbing a few bags that their owners couldn't carry.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella <strong>

"Where is everyone?" Bella huffed as she sat on the sand, arms crossed over her chest. "They're late."

"Who is late?" The brunette spun around at the unfamiliar voice and a wave of admiration crashed in her chest. "And who are you?"

"B-Bella...my name is Bella." The taller girl bit her lip and she tilted her head in confusion. 'What the hell was that? The last time I felt this way...it was for Alice...No way could I ever...'

"Something wrong, Bella?" The blond rubbed her hair back, her wavy hair sparkling in the sunlight. "The name is Jane, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Jane." Bella shook her hand and smiled. "Well, it's been nice, but I have to go. You look familiar, though..."

"I might look familiar. I am famous, after all." She winked and walked away. "See you later, for sure."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

When the door of their rented house slammed open, everyone's heads snapped in that direction. Bella stormed into the house, what looked like Hell on her heels.

"Okay, I waited for over three hours at the beach and nobody ever showed up. Care to explain that to me?" She snarled. "I got sunburned for nothing!"

"Sorry, Bella, we had to escort a rival family to their rented space. We tried to get out of it, but Carlisle insisted we do..." The pixie got to her feet quickly and ran over to her love, trying to soothe her. "We were going to go over there as soon as the chance came up."

"Well, don't bother." Bella bit her tongue painfully to keep hurtful words from coming out. "I want to be alone now."

"No, Bella, please wait..." Alice looked over at her father, who sighed and looked guilty. "I will go with you. Wherever you're off to, I want to go."

"Me, too!" Edward grinned, waving his arms around. "Let's go eat at the diner!"

"Yeah! I've been craving biscuits and gravy." Rosalie patted her rapidly protruding midsection and cooed. "The baby likes what mama likes."

"I guess it's a day and night out?" Bella looked around and noted that her future siblings all nodded enthusiastically, "You guys really didn't like the people you were helping earlier, do you?"

"Hell no!" Alice hissed, "That bitch can die a horrible death, and I wouldn't blink or shed a single tear!"

"Her and her Witch Twin brother!" Emmett growled. "I would-"

A knock at the door made everyone stop and look up in confusion. Who could that be?

Bella opened the door and a woman with wild chocolate hair swept in, a child in her arms, and a dark-haired man following.

"Hello?" the three of them turned to look at the brunette before breaking out in huge smiles. The woman's green eyes sparkled and she turned to look for Alice. When she spotted her holding her hand, she smiled wider.

"Alicia!" The woman squealed and threw her free arm around the pixie, "And you must be Bella!"

"Yeah, that's me." Bella blushed, "I'm sorry that I don't know who you are..."

"Oh, silly me!" She giggled when the child in her arms placed her hands on her face, "I am Carmen, this little one is Renesmee." The child began to laugh, her bronze curls bouncing as she did. "And that is my husband Elezar."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you, we have." The man shook her hand and looked around, "Now, where are my girls?"

"UNCLE ELEZAR!" Tanya sprinted down the stairs at blinding speeds, followed shortly by Kate and Irina. The three of them tackled their uncle, but started to squawk and squeal when they caught sight of Reneesme. "She's so cute, Tia Carmen!"

"Isn't she? I knew you girls would love her!" She passed the child over to Kate, who began to bounce her on her hip. "I'm sorry we're so late to get here... It took us forever to pass through security with this little one. I swear, people shove their noses where they don't belong, and they were scaring her and she had a little fit on the plane."

"All understandable." Carlisle smiled at the little girl and held his hands out. She almost jumped for him, and he couldn't contain his glee. "Oh, I wonder if my grandchild will be this enthusiastic about me."

"He or she will." Rosalie grinned, "He is kicking me in jealousy."

"Really? He isn't old enough for that." Carlisle's brow furrowed.

"I have butterflies. He's moving around, and I know he's jealous." She chuckled, "He's going to be a handful."

"So...what were you guys doing before we showed up?" Carmen looked over at Bella, who she seemed to have forgotten about.

"We were about to go out for a little food at the diner, and then probably hit the beach again." Bella shrugged. "If you want to do something else, we are all for it."

"No, no...maybe tomorrow. Tonight, Nessie needs to sleep. She's been up for hours, and she's going to get fussy half way through dinner." Carmen smiled. "Again, it was nice meeting you, Bella. I know we'll become great friends."

* * *

><p>"I'll have the five pound steak and potatoes dinner." Emmett rubbed his hands together, "And a side of corn and...fried apples."<p>

"That sounds great, Em..." Rosalie pawed through the menu before slamming it shut, "I want the same thing...only if you could drizzle honey on it while you cook it, oh, I would pay double for that... everything else is the same except, I would like an extra side of green beans."

"Alright!" The waitress smiled, "and for you, sir?"

"I will have the chopped beef burger with extra barbecue sauce. Fries would be perfectly alright. And my boyfriend here will have the All-American burger with curly fries." Jasper smiled sweetly, and the waitress wrote his order down without missing a beat.

"And for you ladies?" Her jaw dropped when she counted them...there were more than when she'd left the first time for the drinks.

"I will have the chicken salad."

"I want the two pound steak and a side of corn."

"I would like the chicken fried steak. White gravy, of course, and some mashed potatoes!"

"I will have the two pound steak, too."

"I'll have what Emmett's eating." Everyone turned to look at Bella then. She snorted and glared at everyone. "What?"

"Are you sure I'm the pregnant one and not you?" Rosalie guffawed, everyone joining her when the other girl blushed furiously and crossed her arms over her chest. "I love you! You're too funny!"

"Says the girl who ordered her steak to be cooked in honey." Alice giggled, hugging herself to her love's side.

"Yeah, yeah! Laugh it up!" Bella sighed, chuckling after a few moments. "But I'll bet you all think I can't eat it."

"We don't think. We know." Emmett bit into her challenge with claws drawn.

"You're on." Bella looked up when their food was being brought out. When her plate was set down in front of her, she grinned. "What's your wager?"

"If you can't eat it, you have to get a tattoo of a bird on your body. You get to chose where, and what tattoo it is. We get to watch you get it." Bella flinched at that. Her first tattoo hurt like a bitch...

"And if I do eat it...you have to get a full body wax." Emmett paled out, and Rosalie paled in sympathy. "Administered by yours truly."

"Oh, Hell NO!" Emmett hollered, making the people around them jump in fright.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to take getting another tattoo quietly?" She snarled. She pointed at her steak and felt her mouth water. "Its take it or leave it, Cullen!"

"Fine! Do it! I'll probably win this bitch!" Emmett sat down and grabbed his fork and knife.

"Let's make another bet." Rosalie grinned, "Ali, I'll bet my man can down his steak faster than yours can."

"What's your wager?" The pixie beamed.

"If mine finishes first, I get to plan your wedding. For when I want it. It could be tomorrow, or ten years from now." Rosalie grinned.

"Alright. If I win, I get to buy everything for the baby. I design the nursery, and..." the pixie thought for a moment, "I get to name the baby."

"Woah! Wait!" Emmett turned to plead with his wife, "Baby, she could name our squiggle something stupid like Edward or something!"

"Hey!" Edward whined. "My name is awesome."

"Yes, baby, it's an awesome name." Jasper hugged him, glaring at Emmett. "He's sensitive enough!"

"It's a deal." Rosalie laughed, and everyone could feel the dark cloud forming over their table.

"Is this normal?" Bella asked Alice, who only nodded and began to eat her food.

"Alright. On the count of three." Kate stood up, hands up. "One."

Bella brandished her eating cutlery.

"Two."

They looked at each other before looking down at their plates.

"Three!"

And it was on.

* * *

><p>"Have you thought of any names yet?" Bella looked over at her love, who was lounging on the sand next to her. "You've got an awful lot of power right now."<p>

"I know..." She grinned, "I was thinking for a girl...Camille. And for a boy...Daniel."

"Those are great names...but Daniel is a little common for your family, who is made up of uncommon names." The brunette sighed, "Think of another."

"Alright." She bit her lip in thought, "Tobias."

"Tobias...Tobias Cullen...doesn't fit quite right." Bella glanced at her life partner. "Again."

"Zaniel?" Golden eyes turned to lock with bewildered browns. "Zaniel Cullen?"

"Where did you even hear that? I've never heard it...but it's beautiful." The taller surfer squealed and rolled over onto her lover, "Zaniel Cullen...it's perfect. I don't care if Emmett or Rosalie like it. It's just...I can't imagine what you'd name kids that were actually ours!"

"I'll come up with something." She winked, "Zaniel is an angel, you know."

"Really? That must be why I like it so much." She leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss on her beautiful pixie's lips. "Zaniel. It's...I need to kiss you again."

"I'm up for that." She giggled, leaning up to claim her kiss. When their lips met again, the pixie arched up, moaning loudly. "Oh, God, it's been too long."

"Then let's get out of here." Bella grabbed her love and threw her over her shoulder, running at a break-neck speed toward the Lamborghini. "Straight to my bedroom. Hopefully my mom isn't there. That would be just awkward."

* * *

><p>As Bella laid her tiny life partner down on her bed, they said nothing. Words could not express the feeling in the air, it was certainly tangible. As if someone had sprayed something around them, and it settled like a cloud.<p>

The brunette easily slid her own clothes off, making sure to take extra care to remove her love's clothes. When their bare skin touched, they both gasped and shuddered, hands trembling as they grasped and clutched at each other.

Alice gasped and moaned quite loudly as Bella's fingers expertly pet her and entered her, being sure to caress every inch of her inside. The girl underneath her writhed, skin dotting with perspiration as she bucked her hips up to meet the movement of the fingers that danced inside her. Small hands grasped at chestnut locks of hair, and after yanking them to expose the pale, beautiful neck of the girl who was playing her like an instrument, kissed, suckled and licked up and down the column of flesh.

Small pants turned to full out moans and cries of pleasure as Alice was brought closer and closer to the edge. When she was teetering on the cliff that led to her climax, she bit down on her love's shoulder, crying out loudly, her chest tightening before relaxing and her screaming escalated.

Gentle movements inside her stirred her a little more before she sighed and was coaxed down from her high by her lover. When the fingers withdrew, she whimpered in longing, before cuddling into her lover and kissing her softly. She wished she could return the favor, but it was clear to the both of them that she was too tired to do so. There would be other times.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – Monday<strong>

As the brunette spun around on the wave, a flash of bright green caught her eye, and before she could fall and look like an idiot, she sped down the wave and as it crashed on itself, she rode it out to shore. She grinned as she recognized the surfing figure as Jane, the girl from the day before. So she was a surfer.

When the blond girl rode up on shore and picked up her board, Bella walked over to greet her.

"Hey, Jane." Chocolate eyes lit up. "That was some surfing out there."

"You aren't too bad yourself. I like your style." She swept her short blond hair back and smiled, "So-"

"Jane." A brunette boy was pulling at her arm now, and Bella felt a little off. "Father is calling for us. We best go."

"I understand." She turned apologetic hazel eyes to Bella, "And here I was hoping that we could get to know each other better..."

"Err..." Bella bit her lip, and the blond's eyes darkened.

"Perhaps you aren't busy tonight?" The taller of the two looked incredibly uncomfortable, "That way we can...have a little fun? Just you and me? If you know what I mean?"

"Are you suggesting that we have..." Bella blushed and looked pissed.

"Sex? Yes." The blond leaned forward and let out a shuddered breath, "You've been on my mind since yesterday. Just the thought of you underneath me, naked..." She moaned and rubbed her thighs together, "It gets me so hot and horny..."

"Alright...I figured you were just nice and all...but I should just let you know, I admire your skill out on the water, but I can't be friends with you." Bella backed up after looking a little disgusted. "I'm taken."

"Whoever it is can't be better than me!" She laughed, a slight fluid running down her thigh, "I'm Jane Volturi! The princess! Nobody turns me down! Nobody!"

"Well, Isabella Swan just did. See you at the competition, Princess Jane." Bella smiled in a patronizing way and spun around, walking away. So that's why her name was so familiar. She picked up her surfboard and walked to her car, wanting desperately to get the fuck away from that girl. What is it with girls and falling in love with her or wanting to fuck her?

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Monday<strong>

"What do you think?" The pixie clapped her hands together and made her puppy dog face at her lover. She really wanted Bella to go along with them when they went to the beach for a 'family day'. "I know you'll have fun!"

"I don't know...I don't want to have another run in with..." She bit her lip. She hadn't told Alice about the blond who'd hit her, that Jane Volturi. "Are we surfing today?"

"Of course! I want to see you perfect that one thing that Emmett was teaching you." She looked over at said man, who was putting his wife's sandals on her feet. "Baby, when we have children, you'll do that for me, right?"

"What makes you think you'll be having the kids? Why can't I have them?" Bella chuckled, kissing the top of the tiny surfer's head. "I'd hate to put your life in danger by carrying a baby. You're so small, I'd worry the whole time."

"And your so clumsy..._I _would worry the whole time." Alice fired back, and the brunette could only smile. She was such a little spitfire.

"Alright, let's make a deal." Butterscotch eyes lifted up to soft chocolate eyes, locking a little. "We will flip a coin when the time comes that we want to have children. Then, and only then, will we know who will carry the baby or not. We will do that each time we are to have another baby. Do you agree with my deal?"

"Yes." She wrinkled her nose, "But if I don't like the end result, I get the chance for a second flip, or veto."

"You and your second chances." She rolled her eyes. "You'd give a dog that bit you a second chance, wouldn't you?"

"Speaking of, are we taking Sherlock with us? Violet is excited to be meeting him for the first time." Alice giggled, "And we are going to teach Violet to surf today."

"Awesome! He's getting a little crazy for my mom to take care of. She's already complained about him nipping her." Bella pulled out a newly acquired cell phone and dialed her mother's number. She waited a few seconds before her mother answered it. "Hello? Mom?"

_"Bella? Where are you? I swear, this dog is going to end up chewing through my ankles!" _Renee shrieked through the phone, _"Where did you get him? Holmes was nothing like this little ankle-biter!" _

"I got him from a good family, mom." She chuckled before clearing her throat, "Feel like going to the beach? Ya know, you haven't really been there since the start of your vacation, I'd hate for you to not go before you have to go home."

_"That sounds like a plan. Let me get dressed and get this little bastard out to you. Little thing is just horrible. And he won't stop howling at night. Seriously, I am not mommy! Why am I baby sitting? You aren't in public where dogs aren't allowed!" _She grumbled, and Alice giggled when Renee started yelling about the dog biting her toes.

"We'll meet you out there. Violet's going to be there, so hopefully he'll learn a thing or two from her." She looked over at where said dog was lying on the stairs, belly up. "I gotta make sure she isn't dead, so I'll see you at Beach Access six, mom."

_"Alright. Bye." _CLICK.

"That was a great conversation, if I say so myself." The pixie who stood at her side grinned, "Now, I have to let you know that Violet is not dead. She's eating the best damn dog food in the world."

"Oh yeah? And what is the best damn dog food, in your opinion?" Bella crossed her arms and leaned a little on her hip, eyebrow arched.

"Pure meat, baby. Nothing of that whole grain and rice and shit for her." She whistled, and the gray husky ran at her in a full sprint, ramming into her shins and making her bow over a little as she attempted to catch her. "Unfortunately, the little one needs to learn the use of the brakes."

"Apparently so!" Tanya all but glided down the stairs, a babbling Renesmee on her hip. "Are we going to hit the powder sand and sunshine infused waters?"

"You have a funny way of speaking, Tanya." Bella chuckled, holding her hands out for the now staring child. The small child almost jumped out of Tanya's arms and straight into Bella's waiting arms, cuddling close to her and whimpering. "Does she do this often?"

"I wouldn't know...I did just meet her a few days ago..." Tanya looked close to weeping. "She's so attracted to you! It makes my heart sing with joy!"

"Yeah, definitely weird way of speaking." Bella muttered under her breath, Alice elbowing her for her words. "O-Howwww, what? I was just sayin..."

"Don't be mean to my cousin...she's just...special." She snickered, "Anyway, let's hit it."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<strong>

"Hey, guys!" Alice greeted loudly as she saw a group of Bella's friends walking down to where they were hanging out. "You're just in time!"

"Sweet!" Eric fist pumped and ran out, his red longboard almost hitting the floor as he attempted to run with it. "Damn thing is too big!"

"Eric! Slow down, you'll end up breaking it." Angela thumped him over the head, "And it wasn't cheap."

"Sorry." He whined and looked over at Bella, who was grinning widely. "What's the smile for?"

"Nothing..I'm just remembering how much I hated dragging the longboards around." She shrugged, glancing at Rosalie, who just cracked a smile, "They looked ridiculous on top of my car."

"I'll bet they did." The blond flicked her hair back and placed her hands on her slightly distended midsection. "Woo, that's a bad case of butterflies."

"Butterflies?" Esme touched her daughter's abdomen, squealing. "The baby is moving!"

"Really?" Emmett fell to his knees in front of his wife and placed his ear against her abdomen, eyes alight in wonder. "I can barely hear it, but I can hear it!"

"Emmett." Rosalie bit her lip, her eyes watering. When her husband looked up at her with all the love possibly made in the world, she started crying openly. Emmett stood up on his feet and cupped her face, kissing her lips gently, sweetly.

"I love you, Rosie." She sighed as they parted and snuggled into his big arms.

"I love you more, Em."

"Sapppyyy." Edward laughed, running away from a swatting Rosalie, who was done crying. "Oh, did I ruin the moment? I'm sorry!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"Don't think I won't!"

"Promises, promises!"

"Guys, stop it." Emmett chuckled, "We've got some waves to conquer."

"That's right." Bella pumped her arm. She spun around and took off at a run, "It's time to rock!"

"Bella!" Alice shouted, running after her lover, unaware of the blond who was rushing toward the brunette as well.

"Hey, you." Jane smiled, putting her board down on the sand before pulling her hands behind her back, leaning forward a little, "I missed you."

"What the hell?" Alice hissed, yanking Bella back by her arm, "Bella, why are you talking to Jane Volturi?"

"Babe, chill out. I hadn't said a word to her." Bella shrugged out of her hold, "I wasn't planning on talking to her."

"Bells, what's goin' on?" Emmett and Rosalie appeared from behind Alice and were pointedly staring at Jane. "Do you know this girl?"

"So, Bella, I had a dream about you last night." Jane blushed lightly, "I was wondering if you'd want to-"

"Back the fuck up, you bitch!" Alice shoved in between Jane and Bella, "She's mine!"

"Yours? Since when has that girl been yours?" The short blond cackled, "I was there in Florida. You never mentioned a girl. Besides that redheaded girl, anyway."

"Redheaded girl?" Bella looked at Alice, who turned pink in the face. "Was that the stalker you mentioned?"

"That's her." Rosalie frowned at Jane, "You know, throwing things like that isn't going to make them fight."

"Even if that was the case, I can still get her." Jane eyed Bella dirtily, and Alice hissed. "Just because there's a goalie in soccer, doesn't mean you can't score."

"Hot damn." Bella grinned, "That's a good one."

Alice's jaw dropped as she spun around to look at her fiancee, eyes wide.

"What? It is a good one. I should tell the guys that one..." The brunette rubbed her chin in thought, "However, Jane, you should know that Alice and I are engaged. To be married. Pretty soon, too, if Alice's expression is anything to go by."

"You can't get married here." The blond pointed out.

"We're going to California after this." Rosalie smirked, "All the details have been hashed out."

"Besides, there's a waiting line." Edward sidled up behind Rosalie and laughed aloud, "You're in...what, fourth? Fifth?"

"I think she's fifth." Rosalie chuckled, snapping her fingers. "Even then, I'm not so sure she'd place. Considering she's _the enemy_."

"Anyway..." Alice snapped at her siblings, "There's no chance she'd get with you. Not when she has _me._"

"That's right." Bella wrapped her arms around Alice and nuzzled into her neck, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Golden eyes issued a challenge, and the blond took it up rather quickly.

"We'll see, little Alice Cullen." She turned around, her eyes sparkling, as she walked away. "We'll see."

* * *

><p><strong>Bella – October 1<strong>**st**

"Are you sure the competition is on Friday and not today?" The brunette yelped as a random person shoved against her as they walked down the crowded street. "This is ridiculous, if I can be honest."

"I know, baby, I'm sorry." Alice bit her lip and felt like slamming her fist into the back of someone's head. "I didn't anticipate such a reaction from spectators. I thought it wouldn't get like this until maybe Thursday."

"I can't imagine it getting any worse than this." Bella was shoved violently into Alice's side, and Rosalie, who had been on the other side of Alice, snarled at the crowd, making them clear the way instantly.

"If you all have any sense of decency, you'll clear the fuck out!" Rosalie ran a hand through her long blond curls and grimaced, "Jesus, I'm hungry."

"Let's stop somewhere to eat..." Bella glanced around until her eyes fell upon the diner. She didn't really want to eat there again, but it was better than nothing with this crowd around them and all. "The diner is just down the street."

"I'm all for it." Rosalie gripped her sisters by the arms and literally dragged them to the small establishment, one goal in mind. Eat.

Halfway through their meal, Charlie and Leslie came through the door, Bella's father wringing his coat in his hands. He looked a little shaken and snappy.

"Leslie? What happened to dad?" Bella rushed over to the couple and had to laugh when her dad threw his arms around her and nearly sobbed. "Dad, people are staring."

"I don't care!" He hissed, "All the surfers...again! When will the crazy orgies and partying and law-breaking end?"

"They're only going to be here for the rematch. After that, they'll all clear out. I promise. I'll escort them all out myself." She chuckled, "You look to be in shock...maybe some pie would calm you down? Come on. Let's sit you down before you have an even bigger meltdown."

"Alice. Rosalie." Charlie nodded to the two women and they nodded back, Rosalie saluting him with her fork. She was eating a hulking slice of cake currently, and couldn't let anything deter her.

"Chief." Alice giggled, "You are looking a little worse for wear. Leslie, what have you done to the poor man?"

"Very funny! You should be a comedian." Leslie chuckled, "I haven't done a thing. It's all the popular attraction of the surfing competition that has his boxers unraveling."

"Oh, you should see my brothers. They've been in hiding since the first photographers showed up." Rosalie chortled, forking for another piece of cake, only to see there was no more on her plate. She looked up at Bella and frowned. Her cheeks turned pink and her eyes turned glassy.

The brunette 'aww'd internally and turned to look at the bar, where Gladys was making coffee.

"Gladys!" The woman's head snapped up to her name, and she smiled. "We need another piece of that chocolate cake, if you have it."

"Anything for you girls." She took the cake knife and was about to cut it, when she looked at Rosalie, who was begging with her eyes. She hovered the knife over a generous piece and when Rosalie's eyes lit up, she sliced down and put the cake on another plate, taking it over for her. "Want more milk, Rosalie?"

"Yes, please." She grinned and continued her cake-eating bliss.

"Be right back, then." She turned and walked away, and Alice looked at her sister for a moment before sighing.

"What?" The blond narrowed her eyes at her pixie-like sister.

"I was just thinking...about how the baby is going to come out with dark hair. You've eaten so much chocolate and cookies and cakes...I'm a little worried about your blood pressure." The amber eyed girl giggled.

"I'm not worried." Rosalie forked another piece, bringing it to her mouth, "So you shouldn't be, either."

"Right." Bella snorted.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice – Thursday<strong>

"Are you sure everything is ready? I'd hate to be going through the schedule for something to be out of place." Esme looked squarely into her children's eyes and seemed satisfied. "Alright. You're all free to go."

"Yay!" Alice shrilled before throwing herself down on the loveseat. "Finally!"

"What's going on?" The pixie's head snapped to where her love had just walked through the door, a duffel over her shoulder, Sherlock on his leash. "Did I just miss something completely boring?"

"Yes, you did." Edward sighed, sitting on the big sofa. "We had to do all sorts of calling, planning and scheduling. You would have wanted to off yourself."

"Just hearing about it makes me want to off myself." She chuckled, throwing her duffel at Emmett, who had been walking by. "Be a chap and take that upstairs for me?"

"Would you like me to cook your dinner and wash your clothing for you while I'm at it?" He bowed mockingly, and she grinned.

"Bathe my dog and pick up his poo while you're at it. You're being very generous today, Emmy-bear."

"Generous is my middle name!" He pounded his chest, until Rosalie threw a magazine at him.

"No it's not. Your middle name is McCarthy. Don't be lyin'." She chuckled, "Can you rub my feet when you're done with all that Bella asked of you? Hopefully you won't take too long."

"Baby, I'll rub your feet in my sleep if I have to." He rubbed his head and sighed.

"I kinda wanted you to rub something else while we were asleep." She pouted, "But if that's what you'd rather be doing, then..."

"No!" He dropped the brunette's bag and ran over to his wife, throwing her up into his arms and racing away with her squealing the whole time. "No, ma'am!"

"So Bella..." Jasper came into the living room holding a vase full of white lilies for the center of the living room. "We've all been thinking..."

"Have you decided if you wanted to take Rosalie's place at the competition or not?" Edward spat out, slapping his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Bella shoved her hands into her pockets, Sherlock lying on the floor without a care. "I have decided...and I say yes."

"Yes?" Esme bit her lip. "You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. I can't say I won't let you down when it comes to surfing scores...but I will give it my best shot." The brunette shrugged, "Just don't be too disappointed if I do."

"We would never be disappointed with you." Alice cooed, and looked up into deep chocolate eyes, "Though, I doubt you'd surf anything but your best."

"The whole idea of this is for you to gain the experience of surfing in a competition. That way, you'll be great in other competitions." Jasper smiled widely, "We do want you be the the 6th surfing Cullen, after all."

"Sounds like a plan." She sat down on the floor and looked over at Edward. "So...who are the competitors?"

* * *

><p><strong>So there...and I leave you in anticipation of the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed the very early update. Next update may be on wednesday night. Be sure to be tuned in. :D<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**Before Christmas. As promised. Didn't proof read it or anything, so if anything doesn't make sense, well...shit. haha review or message me any kind of confusion you might have.**

* * *

><p><strong>FRIDAY – DAY 1 OF SURF COMPETITION RE:OLYMPIA – BELLA<strong>

"Okay, so let's break down the competition one team at a time." Rosalie took a seat slowly onto the edge of the bathtub while looking over her younger sister, who was braiding her girlfriend's hair. "First would be the Volturi, who are the biggest threat to you right now."  
>"Aren't they the biggest threat to you guys more than me?" Bella twiddled her thumbs nervously, once in a while reaching up to her bikini top's string to put some space between it and her skin. "I mean, I'm new, they won't feel all that threatened by me..."<p>

"They've seen what you can do. They are already threatened by you." Alice giggled, continuing to lace her love's hair into small plaits. "That, and Jane Volturi wants you. So, she'll try her best to beat you down into submission. It's the game she plays."

The two Cullen girls rolled their eyes and scoffed, getting back to the task at hand.

"Jane is the best female surfer on their team. She's small and lightweight. Her board is specially made for her and her style. She slings herself out there, just like I do, only she's not as reckless as I am. It's almost choreographed, her movements." Alice bit her lip, "It's not choreography that the judges are looking for. It's guts and balls. They just credit her because of her skill. The only thing about her is that she isn't willing to change anything up for the sake of getting the upper hand. She'll stay the way she is and not derive, which works when you surf with her. You could surf flowers around her, and she won't leave her set path."

"Which is a weakness." Rosalie grinned, "Just try to throw her off her game, and she'll probably fall off her board trying to catch you."

"Do you think I'll be surfing against her at any point?" Chocolate eyes closed as her heart thudded painfully in her chest at the possibility.

"Honestly? I am almost a hundred percent that you won't." The pixie-like girl patted her lover's head, "She's got 'bigger-fish-to-fry-fever' with me. She wants to hurt me, so she'll ignore you for the first couple of days of the competition."

"Next on the roster would be Alec." The blond sister chuckled, "He isn't that good of a surfer. It's his sister's high scoring and team morale that keeps him afloat. If Jane goes down, he follows head first. He's not a leader, he's a follower. She says to lose on purpose, and he will."

"He is usually Edward's match. Not to say that Edward doesn't have skill, he's the fastest of us all." Alice smiled, "It's just...we think that Alec has a crush on Edward. We just don't say anything because if Jane was to find out, she'd probably kill him."

"Sounds like a good thing..." Bella whispered, looking up when Rosalie sighed.

"Normally it would be a good thing, but he's the dead weight of their team. We need him." She turned her blue eyes to the door when someone knocked on it. Jasper pushed it open and glanced in, blushing slightly, "You're all decent, right?"

"Yes." Bella snapped, "We wouldn't have left it unlocked if that was the case."

"Hey, don't be nervous, Bella. Everything's gonna be great." He laughed at her nerves, and sat against the wall opposite of the toilet she was sitting on, Alice still working at her long tresses. "Who are you guys talking about?"

"We were just moving on to Demitri, who is Jasper's match up." Alice looked up from her work at her brother, who grinned. "They are a match in every sense. Their style and performances are the exact same. Only difference is their charisma. Jasper is as sparkly and out there as the naked cowboy in New York, and a big-time showoff. Demitri, on the other hand, is as timid and shy as the new kid in high school who got picked on all his life. He won't smile. He won't wave at the crowds. He hides in between his team mates to hide from fans."

"So he's a chicken?" Bella giggled, "I'm not so worried about him, then. He looked scary the first time I had a run-in with him, but now that I know better..."

"You shouldn't be afraid of any of them." Jasper breathed deeply into his chest, "They're all afraid of us, with the exception of Jane and Heidi. Heidi being the redheaded member, and the newest to date."

"The Volturi and we were participating in a surfing competition, a little spat, in London a year ago or so. The little team there was falling apart, Heidi being a member of said group, and decided to split when the competition was over and join the Volturi. She stabbed her ex-team in the back and rigged the whole thing so they'd win. Unfortunately for all her efforts, we still won, so she's a little more than bitter towards us." Alice shrugged out of Bella's view and chuckled. "Her style was something similar to Rosalie's, but she still has bambi legs out there. If the wave hits her board wrong, she goes flying. She's good, but not good by Rosalie's standards."

"Got that right. I'm a hot mess out on the waves!" Rosalie threw her arms up and grinned hugely, "I always was better than her and any others that thought they were better than me. No competition."

"That, and the bikini top thing threw the ranks in your favor." Jasper sniggered, covering his face from any swatting hands.

"All that said, don't worry about her. Next would be Felix." Alice finally released Bella's hair and walked around from where she was standing to admire her handiwork. "Your hair came out perfect! I think I should go into cosmetology if anything doesn't work out right."

"Felix is big like Emmett. They're both dumber than doorknobs, and are knuckleheads." Rosalie said it with love, "Felix has a little more tact than Emmett does, but when it comes to major stunts, Emmett wins out because of his recklessness. If you ever ended up surfing against him, you'd out-maneuver him easily."

"Now, this last one is one that you have to watch out for, Bella." Jasper looked down at his hands in a contemplative manner. "Chelsea is the freshest member, as in skill, not membership. Much like you, she learned to surf fairly recently. Not as quickly or as efficiently as you, mind, but she did just learn how to surf about around the same time they'd picked up Heidi. We don't know much about her because none of us ever surfed against her. There were only five of us before, and she's the sixth... I still don't know if you'll surf against her because Rosie is out for the count, but...you never know."

"I'll be wary of her." Bella nodded, a small smile at her lips. "Who else do I need to know about?"

"Let's move this to the living room so Edward, Emmett and the Denali sisters can clue us in on some things." Jasper opened the bathroom door and motioned for the other occupants to get out.

Once everyone settled down on the sofa, the conversation picked up again.

"The Traveling Trio is a joke, so we won't bother talking about them." Emmett guffawed, slapping his knee, "The La Push group only has one female member who isn't surfing this competition, so no worries for you there."

"Who else is going to be surfing?" Bella felt a little odd, as they'd only mentioned three teams. "Surely there is someone else?"

"Nope. Not until California." Rosalie burped loudly, blushing darkly before looking horrified. "I am so sorry."

"No, no...it's just pregnancy gas, it doesn't matter." The brunette reassured her before giggling, "Emmett's gas is probably louder and smellier."

"It is." She agreed before looking at the clock. "Ah, it's time to go."

"But we haven't even done the Henna tattoos." Alice pouted but let it go when Rosalie turned her sharp blue eyes at her. "W-We can always do it tomorrow, you're right..."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice <strong>

"Okay, baby, are you ready? They're going to announce the line-up." The pixie laced her fingers with her lover's sweaty ones and cooed in her ear, "Everything is going to be wonderful. You'll see. It's not all that hard, baby, it's just surfing..."

"I know, but I want to do my best to make you proud of me. I don't want to let anyone down..." The brunette sighed aloud, making Rosalie turn from where she was standing.

"Everything okay back here?" She turned her body and smiled, hands going to her slightly protruding belly.

"Yeah, everything is great." Bella could feel her sweat dripping down her face and she reached up to swipe it away with the back of her hand, "Just a little nervous is all."

"Ah, it's your first competition. Don't worry so much, because in the end, you'll figure that you worried more than you should have because it's not all that scary as your mind makes it out to be." She chuckled merrily, "You got this in the bag."

"Thanks." Alice thanked her sister with a genuine smile on her face. "I was having a hard time getting her to calm down."

"No problem." She looked at Bella again and smiled, "Once again, Bella, no pressure."

"Okay." She smiled, and they all turned to look at the long table when a woman tapped on the microphone slightly to catch their attention.

"Alright. Today is a Single-Shot event." The woman smiled at the cheers, and Bella turned to Alice quizzically.

"Single-shot is when there is only one member of each team participating. In this case, there would be four surfers on the water at once, but no helpers." Alice explained quietly.

"Ah, okay."

"For the first match, we have The Cullen Five's Alice, The Volturi's Jane, The Traveling Trio's Victoria, and The Power of Three's Kate. For the second match, we have Emmett, Felix and James. Third match is Bella, Heidi and Tanya. Fourth match is Jasper, Chelsea, Laurent, and Irina. Fifth match is Edward, Alec and James. The sixth and final match of the day will be Alice, Demitri and Victoria. Thank you, and let's have a good Day 1!" The woman stepped off the mic and waved, signaling everyone to go to where they belong before the event started.

"Okay, Bella, you heard that? You are in match number three, right after Emmett." Alice led her lover to where her family was going to set up their little team headquarters, "You're going against Heidi and Tanya. Tanya won't bother you, but Heidi might. She's still much like Bambi, so we aren't worried about her. All you gotta do is go out there and be yourself. Surf your best, and then come here with me. That's it."

"Sounds easy enough..." Bella smiled, "You're going first, right?"

"That's right. Against Jane, Victoria and Kate." The pixie shrugged, "Doesn't matter who I go against. I will still always win. Even with all the scars on my back."

"I love your enthusiasm." Chocolate eyes rolled as her counterpart's golden eyes narrowed on her. "What?"

"Is that all you love about me? Or is there more?" She teased, pulling her slightly.

"Of course there's more!" The brunette made a show of being shocked and threw her free arm around the smaller girl's slim waist, "You've got an amazing ass and everything!"

"Well, if that's all." They both laughed together before Alice was called away for the first match. "I'll be back before you know it. Wish me luck, baby!"

"Good Luck!" Bella called out to her, pouting when she hadn't heard it, she had been already too far away to hear it.

"You planning on getting closer to the action?" A deep voice asked from behind, and the brunette spun around to see her friend Jacob standing at her side.

"Hey! Are you participating in this competition? I didn't hear your names be called out." Confusion painted her expression and tone, and he waved her off.

"Yeah, but only on certain days. We just want to dip our fingers in it, not fall in it head first. That, and Sam agreed that we should press our luck with the Cullens." Bella nodded in understanding before slugging his shoulder. "What was that for?"

"I don't know. Just felt right."

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><p><strong>Review now, damn it! <strong>


	35. Chapter 35

__**It's short, but if you guys want updates, they're gonna have to be. I used to write pages and pages and pages before I posted anything, but I think that requires too much on my part. As for a question I was asked about "Fight For It", Yes, Alice and Bella will be together! Be patient. Out of all the things i'd ever written, Alice and Bella were the only ones who got together most of the time with no side drama. The one time i decide to do it, everyone is worried. no worries.**

* * *

><p><em>"And yet another amazing performance by Emmett Cullen, followed by Felix Volturi and Traveling James!" <em>The crowd screamed as the announcer cheered for all three surfers. Rosalie was hooting and hollering at her man from her beach chair and her brothers did much of the same. Bella and Alice, however, were busy.

"Just calm down, Bella, it's just a surf, I promise..." Alice flapped her hands in a slightly crazed way, "Nothing is going to happen. You just go out, come back. That's all..."

Bella wasn't responding. On the inside, she was going over everything she'd learned over the past months and what she was going to have to do to make her family look good. What if she fell? What if she looked like a complete idiot on her board? And for one, where did all this negativity come from?!

"Rosie, did you see that?" Emmett posed with his arms up, guns blazing, and grinning hugely, "I wish the baby could see this...what's wrong with Bella-bear?"

All of the Cullens spun around to look at the brunette, who was looking quite pale. Alice looked at them all helplessly, and sighed aloud.

"Hey, Bella, are you alright?" Rosalie stood up from her seat and knelt in front of the unresponsive female. "Bellaaaaaa?"

"Give her a shock. That ought to knock her out of it." Carlisle grinned from his seat next to his wife, who looked on in worry.

"What kind of shock? I can pull my jeep up and we can hook her up to the jumper cables..." Emmett chuckled, "Or, we could light a fire under her feet and see her dance."

"Not funny, Em." Edward hissed, "She's getting cold feet."

"This ought to do it." Jasper grinned as he opened a bottle of cold water and splashed her across her face with it.

"WHAT!" She sat up instantly and screamed in shock. "THE HELL!"

"You were in shock. We needed to...bring you back?" Alice chuckled, "Sorry, baby. Next time, I'll just slap you."

"Or I can." Rosalie smiled sweetly, "It's your turn, sweetheart. Knock em dead."

"Wha?" Bella looked out at the competition and could see all of the watching eyes on her, and she felt her heart go wild in her chest, her palms sweating.

"Just do your thing." Golden eyes sparkled.

"Right on." The brunette stood up on slightly shaking legs and scooped up her bright yellow board and looked at it for a moment and sighed deeply. She turned and pressed her lips sweetly to her love's pink petal-like lips and walked off toward the water.

When she was a ways away, Alice turned to her sister.

"Do you think she can do this?"

"If she can do half of the things she's done in the time we've met her, I'd like to think that she can pretty much do anything. That's just me, though." The blond shrugged, tossing her hair behind her shoulder in a very Rosalie-like fashion.

"Well." Alice slouched down on her seat and looked at her big brother, "What do you think?"

"Panda bears?"

"What?"

"What was your question, again?"

"Nevermind, Em."

* * *

><p>As Bella finally came up to the edge of the water, two things came to mind. One, was she going to do well enough to make her family look good? And second, were her parents watching somewhere?<p>

Her feet shuffled as she waddled her way in, her board sticking almost uncomfortably to her skin. How did her family do this all the time?

As she finally began to paddle out, the girl from the Volturi sped by her, paddling like a crazy person. Surely they check all surfers for steroids? She shook her head, what a silly thought. She met up with Tanya, who was doing a boob check, and smiled, waving slightly.

"Ah, Bella!" Tanya was so close to grabbing her into a vicious hug, but the space between them didn't allow for that. Thank God. "Are you nervous? I'll watch your back, don't worry. Just surf your heart out, and make it showy. They like that." She motioned to the moving mass on the beach that seemed to watch their every move. "The more the crowd likes you, the better your popularity score will be. Aim for that, if you aren't confident in your skills."

"I just want to do this right..." The brunette sighed, "I'm still really fresh to this whole thing, you know?"

"You are also very modest, my dear. Just do what you've learned, and go from there. There is no wrong answer here." She touched the water with her hands, "The water won't say a word."

"Okay, let's do this. Do you want to go first?" Bella looked over at Heidi, whose face curled in disgust. "Err..."

"It's tradition for the 'ruling team' to go first. You are part of that family, so you go first, and she will follow you." Tanya bit her lip, "I will be right behind her, but I will catch up to you. Go ahead."

"O-Okay..." Bella swallowed slightly and paddled to surf out onto a high swell. When she stood up, she could hear the cheers, and then she could feel them. The wind whipped at her feet, and she felt slightly unsteady, but hearing and seeing Alice cheer for her, though it was far away, did amazing things for her.

Up until Heidi tried to cut her off and knock her down.

"Hey!" Bella wobbled a little, as if someone tipped her over, and when she saw her turning around to come back for another swipe, she looked over at the beach, where Alice was all but glaring at the redhead.

Tanya came up between them and sprayed Heidi with the end of her board, effectively making her back off, until she saw something coming up on the other side of Bella. A surfer.

That surfer was going to take Bella out, and maybe not even on purpose.

"Bella, watch out!" They both turned to look at the struggling redhead, only for that girl to fall off her board, with no ankle strap. The lime green board darted toward the two, and Tanya did the only thing she could to keep Bella on a board.

She pushed her out farther in front of her and turned to the board, kicking up to stop it from continuing its race, knocking herself off in the process.

"Tanya!" Bella turned to see the blond hugging her board with a huge grin on her face. "Are you okay?!"

"Of course I am! Keep going, Heidi is still out there!" She waved her off, and started paddling to shore. "Or I will win, paddling as I am!"

"Yeah right!" Bella sped off toward Heidi, dashing right past her, and ending their turn.

"Bella!" A small body crashed into hers, and she sighed. Of course Alice would worry the whole time she was out there. "A stray surfer, Bella?! A stray surfer?! It couldn't be dolphins or something else?!"

"Hey, hey, don't cry. Look, I'm okay. Tanya saved me. You should be thanking her." She turned and pointed at her love's cousin, who was sashaying toward their group, dragging her board, "She could have been hurt."

"You're right. Let me go and thank her right now!" She jumped up and squealed as she hugged her oldest cousin, "Thank you so much for saving my Bella!"

"Oh, please. She wasn't in any danger. If anything, that board was, given how hard that girl's head is!" She chuckled, "But what I want to know is...who was that girl who was out there...when nobody was supposed to be."

"Get her!" The crowd screamed, making all of the surfers turn to look. They had that stray surfer in their grasp. "She's the one who almost killed Bella, Tanya and Heidi!"

"Autumn?" Alice huffed, almost crying in hysterics. "What the hell were you doing out there?!"

"I wanted to surf..." She blushed, "I wanted to get your attention..."

"You sure did get my attention. You almost killed my fiancee with your carelessness! Amateur surf is in the afternoons, or did you not get the memo?" Alice ran her hands through her hair, "If you ever come near my family or me again, I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" Autumn snapped, "It's not like I did it on purpose."

"It's not what she will do that you need to worry about." Bella snarled, "So you're the famous Autumn... I'd expected more. Do well to remember that I am her fiancee. Stay away, if you know what's good for you."

"Oh, I'm so scared." The redhead grinned, "Come at me, if you feel the need to show your strength to the Cullen Five."

"She doesn't need to." Edward frowned, "She's done plenty to prove to us that she is strong."

"Now how 'bout you back off, little girl, and go find your mommy?" Emmett growled, "I've had just about as much of you as I could stand."

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><p><strong>I can't remember if I'd ever had Bella meet Autumn, so if she'd already met her, oh well. someone PM me so I'll know. I kind of feel like an old person, I can't really remember much about what I'd already posted. I get ideas, put them in a word document, and then, I can't remember what made it online and what didn't. it's a lot of weeding out thoughts.<strong>


	36. Chapter 36

"Okay, so what are we doing here?" The brunette frowned as Alice shoved a pretty black mask in her hands, "And why the getup?"

"It's the after event. Usually, the participants of the competition will sponsor an event to take place after a hard day of competing." Alice shrugged, "Today is a Volturi day. It's called the "Beach Masquerade". Lots of food and dancing."

"Just stay away from the hosts themselves. They like to show off with their money and they typically throw a party to remember. Just stick around for that one moment that would make it so." Rosalie grinned, "Something scandalous is in the air, I can taste it."

"Right." Bella chuckled.

* * *

><p>"Hey Bella-bear! Try the eggs, they're pretty atrocious!" Emmett grinned across the room, "Wanna get take-out after this?"<p>

"There is nothing wrong with the food here, Emmett Cullen." Victoria sneered, "You're crude taste buds couldn't handle such high class delicacies."

"Yeah? Well, your face is crude." He grumbled, "You like clams?"

"What?" She turned to look at the big man and gave a start when he tossed a tong-full of unshelled clam meat on her plate with a wet noise. "Ewww!"

"That's what I thought." He turned away from her and picked up a piece of fried chicken, "That's what I'm talking about!"

* * *

><p>"What is the point to this?" Tanya whispered to Alice, who was standing around the dance floor and tapping her foot.<p>

"It's supposed to be a masquerade. You aren't technically supposed to know who everyone is. Unfortunately, we only ever see these people half naked, so I know who each and every person is." She tapped her forehead.

"Well." The Denali surfer chuckled, "I don't suppose you could throw a better party?"

"As a matter of fact, I can." The pixie smiled, her teeth gleaming. "Wednesday is one of our events, I believe. A party on the La Push beach. Lots of alcohol and lots of dancing and sex."

"Sounds magical." She bat her eyelashes and sighed.

"You aren't getting weird on me again, are you?" She snorted. "This party is starting...to get boring. Where is Emmett?"

"Over yonder." The blond pointed to the hulking blue-masked man.

"Perfect."

* * *

><p>"Okay, Belsie, riddle me this." Emmett spoke quietly as he leaned over to his future sis-in-law, "What do you get when you give spiked punch to a bunch of stiffs?"<p>

"Am I supposed to know what you're doing?" Bella glanced around quickly as Emmett took a bottle of Juarez tequila and unscrewed the cap, freely pouring the liquid into the fruit punch bowl, and stirring it slowly. "You're going to kill someone. They'll know it's spiked!"

"They will. And they'll keep drinking it, because it's something rebellious in an event that's so controlled." He grinned cattily, "Everyone loves rule-breaking."

He brought out another bottle, this time it was Absolut vodka, and did the same. He sampled a bit of it, and his face twisted.

"Hot-damn." He poured a glass and handed it to the brunette. "Get the party started. I'm going to head over to Rosie, it looks like she's having too much fun."

The two looked over at the blond who was sitting at a poker table, most of the poker chips sitting on her end of the table.

"See you on the other side." She saluted him before looking around for Alice.

* * *

><p>"And the award for the most awkward moment in history goes to..." Edward pushed his SD card into his computer, displaying all onto the projected screen on the white wall of their rental home, "Jane and Alec Volturi!"<p>

"Oh god!" Esme squeaked, "That's so wrong!"

"Who knew he had it in him?" Bella grinned, "I totally didn't see that coming!"

On the screen were pictures of a heavily intoxicated Jane laying completely naked on an equally naked and intoxicated Alec, both passed out. The real question was, did they do it?

"They totally did it, can't you see the evidence dripping down her leg?!" Emmett hooted, way too proud of himself. "Aro is so pissed off!"

"I would be too, if you all were blood related." Carlisle sighed, "I wonder what will happen with the competition now. He was the one that was paying for most of it."

"I suppose we will be finding out in the morning." Esme frowned. "We are off to bed. Good night children."

"Night, Ma!" Emmett hollered, hugging his woman around her rounding belly.

* * *

><p>The next day would prove to be a downer as the Volturi group forfeited and pulled out of the competition, taking their money, and their embarrassed children with them.<p>

"It is unfortunate, my friend Carlisle, that this had occurred. Perhaps a few years into the future we can attempt to put our children's rivalry aside and try a competition again. At this time, we regret to inform you that this competition has been canceled, and we will be leaving to our native Italia to recover from this tragedy. Yours truly, Aro Volturi." Carlisle sighed, "This will be weird for a long time."

"I'll say. The news papers and magazines are all raving about the sudden _twincest disease _that the group is facing." Alice bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. Unfortunate for their family, Bella's first competition has been canceled, and they won by default. Fortunately, Jane was gone, and so was the big crowd that had never really left after the first competition.

"So..." Bella hugged her pixie tightly, slightly rubbing her hips against her love's luscious backside, "Wanna take this to your room...?"

"Race ya there." She giggled before attempting to run away from her lover, who pulled her back, then tripped on her and fell on top of her. "That's not fair!"

"Life ain't fair!" She grinned before pushing up off her and running up the stairs, the pixie on her heels.

* * *

><p>"Everyone! We're back!" Rosalie shouted as she and her husband walked through the front door, "Where is everyone?"<p>

"Rosie's back!" She heard Edward shout, and then a stampede of footsteps coming down the stairs, around the corner and...

"ROSIE!" She was group hugged and slightly lifted off the ground, her siblings all around her, cuddling to her. "Did you find out? Didya?"

"Yes, I did." She smiled brilliantly, and her siblings sighed before releasing her and waiting around with bated breath. "It's a boy."

"WHOO!" Jasper cheered, "Another boy to take over the tidal wave of women!"

"What tidal wave? It's you, Edward, Emmett and Carlisle to Me, Alice, Rosalie and Esme." Bella snorted, "It's an even tie. He's just gonna tip it two points."

"You forgot about Tanya and her sisters." Alice whispered in her love's ear, "So we pretty much are a tidal wave of women."

"Oh..." The brunette blushed, "Sorry."

"It's fine. They are all passed out anyway. Everyone partied hard last night." Rosalie chuckled, moving her very round belly so she could sit on the sofa, "I'm hungry..."

* * *

><p>"Okay, kids." Carlisle sighs as he adjusts his bullet proof vest and helmet, "It's that time of the year again. I call a ban on surfing-"<p>

"WHAT?!"

"-now that the chill has set in, and I know you're all upset, but it's too cold. Now is the time for you guys to really get out there and do other sports. You know, the ones you're too busy for during surf season? Emmett, you said you wanted to go mountain boarding? Alice, what about your Jazz dancing? I'm sure Bella would love to go jazz dancing with you." He continued, undisturbed by the shouting and wailing of hurt and horror.

"Everyone! Calm down!" Rosalie yowled into the fray, and started smacking heads to get everyone to shut it. "Dad's got a point. Let's have some fun out of the water. Maybe do something I can be included in."

"Like what?" Edward looked up at his sister as she smiled at him.

* * *

><p>"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind, Rose." Edward sighed, pulling his yoga pants out of the crack of his ass, "Why this?"<p>

"It'll help me with birth. That's why. Plus, don't you want to learn new positions to try with Jazzy?" She winked, and the bronze haired gay blushed darkly.

"Just because it's going to help you give birth." He snipped, downward dogging on his mat.

* * *

><p>"You guys just have to stay!" Alice whined, "Come on, Halloween is around the corner. Why bother going home when you'd just have to come right back for that?"<p>

"I'd love to stay, but I'm sure Carmen and Eli are missing married life." She motioned to the couple who were deeply engaged with Carlisle and Esme.

"But you guys will come back for Halloween, right?" Bella blushed, "I've never really been to a huge Halloween party, much less the Cullen Scare Fest."

"AWWWW, of course we will be back for that, Bella!" Kate squealed and grabbed the brunette into a tight headlock hug, Bella's face turning purple, "She's just the cutest thing!"

"Kate, she can't breathe." Alice yanked her fiancee away from Kate and snuggled into her, "You are as she says. I can't wait for you to experience it. It has to be the best thing we do out of the whole years worth of things."

"I can't wait for it to roll around." Bella smiled goofily, "I've only ever read about it online."

"Well, I for one, am excited to see what booth I will have this year." Rosalie smiled, "I hope its the pie toss. I love pie."

* * *

><p>"So why did I have to come with you guys?" Bella groaned as Emmett practically carried her through the doors of the local 'Halloween City' with a huge grin on his face. "I could have come with the girls."<p>

"But you're technically one of the guys, so you had to come with us. Besides, don't you want to keep your costume a secret from Ali?" Jasper winked at her, wiggling his eyebrows, "Don't you want to pick something really sexy without Alice jumping you in the changing room?"

"You're absolutely right." Bella deadpanned. "She would practically rape me in front of all these people."

"So we're just doing our favorite new sister a favor." Edward snickered, before throwing himself in the direction of the girly costumes, "Follow me!"

By the time the rest of the gang joined up with Edward, he was squealing excitedly, "It's perfect!"

He turned around to face them, with a Lord of the Rings costume. Legolas.

"Would you wear it for me, Jazzy?" He pleaded, his bottom lip sticking out in his begging. "I'll wear one to match you."

"What would match that?" Bella put her hand to her chin, thoughtful, "Would you be the dwarf with the axe? Or that Aragorn dude?"

"Aragorn, of course!" He smiled with all of his teeth showing, "Do I look like a brute?"

"Why don't we wear Harry Potter costumes? I'll be the Draco to your Harry..." Jasper's turn to plead, turning huge blue eyes to his lover, "I just don't want to wear a long wig again, they itch a storm."

"Fine. I'll be Harry." Edward tossed the costume back onto the rack and ran off again.

"You can almost hear his heels clicking on the floor." Bella whispered into Emmett's ear, making the big man laugh in his belly.

"What are you going to be, Bella-bear?" Emmett asked, slinging a meaty arm on her shoulders. "Something inherently gay?"

"Not even." She grinned, picking up a costume in a hard plastic bag, "Just keeping in the family profession, is all."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure Bella's going to like what I picked?" Alice bit her lip in thought as the females of the family stood in the check out line. "What if its totally stupid?"<p>

"Don't think that way, Ali. I'm sure she's going to think you're hot either way." Rosalie tucked a strand of her sister's hair behind her ear, "At least you aren't going to be a cow."

"You aren't insulting yourself there, are you?" Esme smiled happily, "Because I won't take you insulting yourself. You're just going to literally be a cow for Halloween."

"I'm going to be adorable. Just you wait." Rosalie flipped her hair, rubbing her belly and sighing, "This shopping business is tiring work now."

"So what's the plan for when we get home? I heard the boys are going to start construction on the booths. What are we going to do?" Alice asked her mother, who just handed her card over to the cashier.

"Well, we are in charge of keeping everything organized. We get to assign booths, time tables, and the table set up. Some of the people in town already asked to be a part of the fest, so all we have to do is get them organized. The La Push kids are asking to help out, and we can use all the help we can get." She thanked the cashier and took the bags, pulling her daughters behind her. "Let's go, girls."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you got that, Bells? I can hammer it and hold it up at the same time." Emmett looked at his sister in law in a worried fashion. "You don't have to help me."<p>

"I got this." She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth in concentration, holding a nail between her fingers, and a hammer in the other. She counted to three in her head before pulling it back, and slamming the hammer down. Miss.

"Are you sure? This is making me nervous." The brute winced as she struck and missed again. "Alice will kill me if you hurt yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm talented at everything." She brought the hammer back, and narrowly missed whacking herself over the head with the hammer, freaking herself out, and hitting her thumb with it. She made contact.

"AAAHHH! FUCK!"

* * *

><p>"Thanks guys, for coming out to help. It's been a real pleasure having you here." Carlisle smiled at the dark skinned boys that volunteered to help out with the building of the booths for the fest. "And thank you for picking up the slack in Bella's direction."<p>

"Hey, I almost broke my thumb, thank you." She huffed, crossing her legs as she sat with Alice on one of the completed booth tables, "I'll heal fine. Once another thing like this comes around, watch out."

"Yeah, I think you should wrap that one in bubble wrap." Jacob grinned, ducking away when Bella jumped off the table and started swinging fists at him. "Hey, don't break your hand or anything!"

"You'll wish I broke my hand after I broke your face!" She laughed as she continued swinging her fists at her friend, "Come back here!"

* * *

><p><em>See you soon?<em>


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